


Little One

by RavenCaziel



Category: werewolves - Fandom
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Drama, F/M, Romance, Werewolf Mates, Werewolves, Werewolves Turn Into Actual Wolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:15:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 35
Words: 95,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27017155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenCaziel/pseuds/RavenCaziel
Summary: Amara Jenson meets her mate when she turns eighteen.  However, things become complicated even before she finds out who her mate is.  Between being a cursed black wolf, having a boyfriend and being hounded by mysterious wolves, Amara has her work cut out for her.
Kudos: 10





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi y'all. I decided to give a werewolf story a shot so I hope you like it!

A girl was running through the woods in tattered and torn clothing of blue pants and a white t-shirt. Her blue and black sneakers crunched against the dead leaves on the ground as she ran, the fall air threatening to chill her to the bone. However, she was running for her life and therefore her body heat was keeping her from getting too cold.

The girl jumped over a fallen log before stopping to catch her breath, her long black hair cascading around her face. She looked up at the moon with haunted but bright emerald eyes. She was so close to the edge of her pack's territory. So close. She had to keep running.

 _"C'mon, Amara,"_ she told herself. _"Run, just like Dad told you to."_

Amara began to run once more after catching her breath, and that's when she heard them. Wolves. They had caught her scent and she cursed herself for stopping, though it had only been for a moment.

Being one of the fastest children in Amara's pack gave her an advantage, but it wasn't enough to keep the enemy from tracking her down. But she had to keep going and running towards the territory edge was her only chance.

She'd heard stories about the neighboring pack, about how they were notorious for torturing and killing outsiders but Amara didn't have a choice. She couldn't stay here to be slaughtered by the enemy that had invaded her pack's land.

Amara stopped in her tracks at the river's bank and looked behind her. Blood curdling howls made her shiver and she turned back to the river. It was flowing heavily and the current was strong but she was a fantastic swimmer. Without hesitation, Amara jumped into the water. The end of her pack's territory, the Pale Moon Pack, was just on the other side of the river.

Amara swam with all her might, though the water was frigid but she didn't care. She had to make it across. When she got to the middle of the river she heard splashing behind her. They were here. She didn't dare look back.

 _"Go, Amara, go!"_ she urged herself.

Amara picked up the pace of her freestyle swimming. The splashing and growling was growing closer and closer. When she got to the bank, she quickly stood up and ran. She'd made it across, but would they follow her into the Red Blood Pack's territory?

As she ran, Amara dared a glance behind her. She wasn't being followed, or so she hoped. Still, she continued to run as fast as she could. She couldn't risk stopping, not now.

After what felt like hours of running, she finally stopped and leaned against a tree trunk, breathing heavily and shaking. The adrenaline of her escape began to wear off and her mind was now able to focus on what had happened. Amara burst into tears as the images of the pack house and surrounding houses were burned to the ground and enemy wolves slaughtering her friends, her family members and parents. It was too much for her to bear.

In all the chaos, her father had told her to run and not look back. Amara wondered if anyone from her pack had survived the onslaught. More than likely not. She collapsed to her knees and sobbed, lowering her head. How could this happen? Who attacked her pack, and why?

The cold began to seep into her body and Amara shivered while wrapping her arms around her form. She sat against the tree and rocked back and forth to try and calm herself. She started singing an old lullaby her mother had taught her, tears rolling down her cheeks. She needed to calm down.

As her voice echoed through the darkness with the moon lighting the area, Amara heard a twig snap. She gasped and got up, looking around to try and pinpoint where the sound came from. Another twig snapped and was followed by a growl. It was coming from behind the tree. Amara slowly turned to peek around the tree. A pair of bright yellow eyes met her gaze and they belonged to a rather large gray and white wolf.

_"Oh no..."_

Amara turned to run but stopped dead and gasped when she saw two more wolves in her way. One was brown and gray, the other chestnut colored. Their eyes were also bright yellow. Amara blinked and backed into the tree before looking up. She could climb the tree and stay up there, but for how long? Her flight instinct took hold and she immediately started climbing, gasping for air as she got higher.

Once Amara felt she was high enough, she looked down at the wolves. They circled around the tree for awhile until the larger one started changing into a man. Amara looked away from the man's nakedness and felt her cheeks go red. No matter how natural it was, she still had a hard time seeing werewolves buck ass naked.

"Who are you?" the man asked gently. When she didn't answer, the man sighed heavily. "Are you with the Pale Moon Pack?"

Amara shivered and rubbed down her arms to try and stay warm. She wasn't going to answer his question. He was a stranger, after all.

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers!" Amara stated loudly.

The man chuckled and put his hands on his hips. "My name is Gabriel. I am the Alpha of the Red Blood Pack."

Amara's blood ran cold. This was the leader of the Red Blood Pack, the ones who mercilessly tortured and killed anyone who came on their land without permission. She whimpered and climbed up higher.

"I introduced myself. Now we're not strangers, yes?" Gabriel pointed out.

"I won't fall for that!" Amara shouted. "Knowing your name doesn't mean I know you!"

Gabriel barked with laughter. "Clever little pup, aren't you..." He turned to the other two wolves. "Shift."

The other two wolves shifted and Amara studied them. One was blonde while the other had brown hair. Amara looked down at Gabriel and saw he had graying blonde hair and sapphire eyes.

"This is my Beta, Leo," Gabriel said, pointing to the brunette. "To my right is my son, Benjamin."

Benjamin looked up at Amara with a smile. "Hi there," he said, waving at her.

Amara thought he couldn't be older than fourteen, maybe fifteen.

"...What do you want?" Amara asked Gabriel.

"Well," he said, walking closer to the tree. "You've trespassed on our land and I was wondering why a pup would do that."

Amara sniffed and looked away. "...I...I don't want to tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because...they..." suddenly the girl began to sob. "They're all gone!"

"Who's gone?" Gabriel asked curiously.

"My pack. The Pale Moon Pack. We were attacked."

Gabriel looked taken aback by this, as was Leo and Benjamin. "Who attacked your pack?"

"I don't know," Amara cried, rubbing her eyes. "My dad told me to run and not look back."

Gabriel turned to Leo. "Go back to the pack house. Grab some warriors so they can go investigate."

"Yes, Alpha," Leo said before changing back into a wolf and bounding off.

Gabriel looked back up at the girl. "Are you hurt?"

"No," Amara replied, shivering.

"Are you worried that we will hurt you?"

"...Yes."

Gabriel chuckled slightly. "What makes you think we would hurt you?"

"I've heard stories about your pack!" Amara spat. "You hurt and kill anyone who crosses onto your land!"

Gabriel and Benjamin looked at each other with frowns before the alpha looked up at Amara. "I'm afraid you've been misinformed, Little One."

"That sounds like something a bad guy would say!"

Gabriel barked with laughter and smiled. "What can we do to prove we won't hurt you?"

"...Could I have a blanket?" she asked. "I'm freezing."

Gabriel nodded and glanced at Benjamin. "Go get her a blanket."

Benjamin groaned, shifted into his wolf and ran off. Gabriel looked up at Amara with a broad smile.

"Can you at least tell me your name, Little One?" he asked her.

"...Amara," she muttered.

"Amara, huh? That's a beautiful name."

Amara blushed and looked away. "Thank you."

"How old are you, Amara?"

"I'm twelve."

"Twelve, huh? You have a whole year until you get your wolf."

"Actually, my birthday is next week."

"Ah, I see. Well, that'll be something, won't it..."

Amara blinked at the man and cocked her head to one side. "You're not what I expected. As the alpha of this pack, I mean."

"What were you expecting? A big, scary monster?"

"...I don't know," Amara answered with a shrug.

Gabriel crossed his arms and shrugged. "You had to cross the river to get here, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"No wonder you're cold, kid."

Benjamin came back with a thick woolen blanket in his mouth. He shifted into his human form and tossed the blanket up to Amara. She caught it and wrapped herself up in it, instantly feeling the warmth of the wool hit her.

"Can you tell us anything about what happened?"

Amara bit her lip with apprehension. "I was sleeping...and my mom came and woke me up. She told me to get dressed quickly so I did. Then she said I had to go to the forest. Then..." Amara's tears formed once more and she covered her face. "A wolf came through the window and killed her!"

Amara could still see the images in her head, the memory of bright red eyes burned into her mind forever. She would never forget her mother's cries or the snarling of the enemy wolf.

"Then what happened?" Benjamin asked.

Amara shook her head violently. "Please don't make me say anymore," she cried.

"Ah, kid," the alpha said. "I'm so sorry you went through all that."

Amara shuddered and closed her eyes tightly. "I'm so tired..."

"I bet. Were you chased at all?" Benjamin inquired.

"Yes."

"How'd you outrun them?"

"I'm a fast runner."

Gabriel laughed and rubbed his face. "You'd have to be. Did you run the whole way here?"

"Uh huh."

"Impressive."

Amara smiled down at the man, even though she was still tearing up. They stayed silent for a while, Amara not feeling like she should talk anymore. She didn't know if this werewolf could be trusted. He tried to get her to answer more questions but she refused.

Suddenly she heard some rustling and she cringed, but then she relaxed when Leo came in from the distance. He changed into a human and walked up to Gabriel.

"Gabriel," he said.

The alpha turned to him. "What's the report?"

Leo eyed Amara who was listening closely. "The entire pack...they were all wiped out by rogues."

"No!" Amara sobbed, covering her mouth and crying.

"Everyone?" Gabriel asked incredulously.

"Everyone. Even the pups."

Amara cried more into her hands. Her parents...her whole pack was dead. She couldn't believe it.

"Amara, I'm so sorry..." Gabriel said with sadness in his voice.

"W-What am I g-gonna do?" Amara sobbed.

Where could she possibly go? She was now packless. A rogue. That was the last thing she wanted to be.

"Amara," Gabriel called out gently. "Come down here."

"B-But I'm a rogue now. You hurt rogues."

"We don't hurt kids, Amara. Now come down, we won't hurt you."

Amara sniffled and looked at the alpha. He seemed to be sincere, but could she trust him? Should she trust any member of the Red Blood Pack?

"...You promise?" she asked meekly.

"I cross my heart, hope to die, stick a silver needle in my eye," Gabriel responded.

"O-Okay..."

Amara dropped the blanket and slowly made her way down. She dropped to the ground and flinched with her eyes closed, waiting for them to attack her. Kill her. Grab her and throw her in the dungeon. But it never came. She opened one eye and saw all three males eyeing her curiously.

"You...you really meant it?" she asked.

"Of course," Gabriel replied. "No one is gonna hurt you."

Amara sniffled and grabbed the blanket, throwing it around herself. What was she going to do now? Her whole body was shaking, her clothes were all wet and her pack was dead. Amara eyed them with her green eyes, not expecting what happened next.

"C'mon, Little One. We'll get you some food, some dry clothes and a place to sleep," Gabriel offered with a warm smile, holding out his hand.

Amara, still shivering, cautiously made her way to the alpha. She took his hand hesitantly. His hand was so warm compared to how cold she was.

"My goddess, you're freezing, Little One," he said before kneeling down and tightening the blanket around her. "There we go. Now, come with us."

Amara nodded and took Gabriel's hand again. The group started walking through the forest and she looked down at her shoes. They were squeaking from being wet.

"What are we going to do with her, Gabriel?" Leo inquired.

"Let's not worry about that now, Leo. Let's just get her inside and warmed up."

After a while they came across a huge clearing and Amara gasped in awe of what she was seeing. Just ahead was a huge house. A mansion, in fact. It had a black roof, brown and cream colored walls and there was a garden surrounding the house.

"Who lives here?" she asked Gabriel, looking up at him.

"I live here with Benjamin, my daughter Janine and my Luna Sonya."

"Wow. It's so big!"

Gabriel laughed and looked down at the girl. "You know, Janine is only a little older than you. I'm sure she has some clothes you can use for now."

Amara looked up at the tall, muscular man. "You think so?"

"Of course."

They rounded the house to the front and Amara looked around, finding other houses close by. There was another big house near the mansion and she assumed that was the pack house.

"Leo, I want you to go to the pack house and call a meeting. Inform everyone about what has occurred tonight."

"Yes, Alpha."

"Hmm, but go get dressed first," Gabriel smirked.

Leo laughed with a nod and went running toward one of the houses. Amara, Gabriel and Benjamin entered the big mansion and Amara couldn't believe her eyes. This place was so much bigger, so much grander than her house back in the Pale Moon territory. Twin wooden staircases led up to the second floor from the foyer. The floor was all hardwood and there was an oriental rug that was in the middle of the floor.

"Benjamin, go wake up Janine. Have her bring some pajamas down for Amara," Gabriel said.

Benjamin rolled his eyes and went running towards the stairs. Amara was led into a side room where Gabriel had his own clothes resting on a red sitting chair. He grabbed his underwear and jeans, sliding them on. Amara blushed once more and looked away. She noticed there was a fireplace in the room but it wasn't lit.

Once Gabriel was dressed, he went over to the fireplace and proceeded to get a fire going.

"Come here, Little One," he said once the fire was lit.

Amara did what she was told and Gabriel motioned for her to sit in front of the fire. She did and brought her knees up to her chest, holding herself by her shins. She rested her chin on her knee and stared into the flames. The heat felt really good.

"Thank you, sir," Amara whispered.

Gabriel sat down next to Amara. "You're welcome. But you can just call me Gabriel."

"Okay."

They stayed silent for a few minutes before Gabriel cleared his throat. "Did you have any siblings?"

"No. I'm an only...I _was_ an only child."

"What position did your father hold in the pack?"

"He was the-"

"Dad, why did I need to...oh..."

Amara turned around to see a blonde girl, about Amara's age, holding some clothes.

"Janine, this is Amara. Amara, this is my daughter Janine," Gabriel said as he got up. He grabbed the clothes from Janine and set them on the chair. "Now, we're gonna give you some privacy so you can change, okay?"

Amara nodded and watched Janine and Gabriel leave the room. Once the door was shut, she got up and quickly wiggled out of her wet sneakers and clothes. She grasped the dry clothes, noticing they were Wonder Woman pajamas. She shrugged and slipped on the pants, then she got the long sleeved shirt on and buttoned the shirt up. Amara heard voices outside the door and she crept to it to listen in.

"...whole pack was killed, Sonya," she heard Gabriel say. "What was I supposed to do? Leave her to fend for herself?"

"No, of course not," a woman's voice said. "That poor girl. Is she alright?"

"I don't know. She saw her mother get killed.

Amara heard a gasp. "What an awful thing to see."

"I know. Do you think you could fix her something to eat? The kid ran nonstop from her territory to ours so she's gotta be famished."

"Of course. I'll be back with something."

Amara bit her lip with a frown. She walked back to her clothes and began folding them up.

"Amara? Are you decent?" Gabriel asked through the door.

"Yes," she replied.

The door creaked open and Gabriel poked his head in. "The Luna is gonna make you something to eat."

Amara nodded and looked around for a place to put her clothes. "Thank you, si- I mean Gabriel."

Gabriel walked in and looked at her wet clothes. "I can wash and dry those for you." Amara nodded and handed him the clothes. "Be right back, Little One."

Gabriel left the room again and Amara sighed before sitting in front of the fire and wrapping the blanket around her body. She felt a lot warmer now. Amara leaned back, grabbed her sneakers and set them on the ledge in front of the fire. She needed them to be dry by tomorrow.

Oh, but what was she going to do? She couldn't go back home. Everyone was dead and gone. Amara hated the idea of being a rogue. She sniffled, brought her knees up and began crying silently as she held her legs.

The door creaked open again and she wiped her eyes thoroughly before turning around. It was a woman with violet colored eyes and long, straight blonde hair. She was holding a plate and a glass of milk.

"Hello, Amara. My name is Sonya. I'm the Luna of this pack," she said with a smile. "I brought you some food."

Amara nodded and quickly grabbed the sandwich off the plate. She devoured it almost immediately. It was peanut butter and jelly. She then grabbed the milk and drank it all in record time. She hadn't realized until then how hungry she was.

"Wow. You must've been hungry," Sonya said in awe.

"Uh huh," Amara said, looking up at Sonya. "Thank you for the food."

"You're welcome." Sonya grabbed the plate and glass, set it down on a side table and focused back on Amara. "Now, you're twelve, right?"

"Yes."

"Janine, my daughter, just turned thirteen a few months ago."

Amara said nothing and looked down at her feet. "I'll be thirteen next week."

"Oh, that's wonderful."

Amara continued to stare at her bare feet. "What am I gonna do, Luna?" she asked, tears overflowing her eyes again. "I don't want to be a rogue."

It was at that moment when Gabriel walked in. "Hey, did you eat?"

"Uh huh," Amara said with a nod.

"Good. Now, how's about we get you to a nice, warm bed, huh?"

Amara sniffled and wiped her nose. "Okay."

The two adults led Amara out of the room and towards the stairs. Amara kept her head down, thinking about what was going to happen to her now that she was packless. It made her shudder and cry more.

She was directed to a huge guest room with a double sized bed in a blue themed room. Amara looked around, temporarily forgetting her woes. The room was so big. She went to the bed and crawled in. Gabriel tucked her in with a grin.

"Gabriel, I don't want to be a rogue. What am I going to do?" she sobbed. The thought of roaming the wilderness alone terrified Amara to her core.

Gabriel's face dropped. "Don't you worry about that now, Little One. We'll discuss it in the morning, okay?"

Amara nodded and wiped her tears away. She rolled over on her side and felt Gabriel stroke her head once before she felt the bed shift. The light was turned off and the door shut. It didn't take long for Amara to fall asleep.

* * *

Gabriel sighed heavily and closed his eyes before looking at Sonya. The two went downstairs back to the sitting room and they both sat by the fire in two red chairs. Gabriel rested his elbows on his knees and bowed his head.

"I feel so bad for her, Gabriel," Sonya said.

"So do I," he replied.

"What should we do? She wouldn't survive a week on her own."

Gabriel nodded. "I know." He looked at Sonya. "We obviously need to take her in."

"I know. Do you think she'd agree with joining our pack?"

"I hope so. We'll ask her in the morning." Gabriel stood up, walked to his Luna and kissed her softly. "I called for a meeting at the pack house. I need to go join them."

Sonya smiled and pat his cheek. "Hurry back, my love."

Gabriel stroked her face gently before leaving the room.

* * *

Amara groaned and blinked her eyes a few times before everything came into focus. She was in a room she didn't recognize. She gasped and sat up, wondering where she was when the events of last night hit her. Amara closed her eyes to fight back the tears.

She got out of bed and made it before leaving the room. She made her way down the hall to the stairs then she walked down them. She could smell food and her stomach rumbled. Amara ran down the rest of the way and followed the smell to what she assumed was the kitchen. When she opened the door, sure enough, it was the kitchen. There was floral wallpaper adorning the walls, a black refrigerator, a black island with a granite counter, black cupboards and cabinets, a steel colored sink, a black dishwasher and a black oven and stove.

 _"_ _Man, these people really like the color black,"_ she thought.

Quiet as a mouse, she walked through the kitchen. She made a left out of it and saw Gabriel and his family eating breakfast at their dining room table. Her eyes bugged out when she saw pancakes. Gabriel turned his head and smiled at her.

"Ah, Amara. Come, have some breakfast," he said.

Amara practically ran to the table and sat down. Her eyes twinkled as she grabbed an empty plate and filled it with scrambled eggs, bacon and pancakes. Once she salted her eggs and put syrup on her pancakes, she began to chow down.

 _"Goddess, I'm so hungry,"_ she thought.

"Woa, slow down there, kid," Gabriel laughed. "You're gonna choke."

Amara frowned and began to eat slower. "Sorry," she mumbled with a mouth full of food.

"Oh, it's alright, dear. We know you're hungry," Sonya said. "Would you like some milk?"

Amara nodded and watched Sonya pour her a glass. She grabbed it greedily and drank at least half the glass to wash down her food. She set the glass down, smacked her lips and made an "ah" sound.

"That was good. Thank you," she said.

Gabriel wheezed out a laugh as he dug into his own pancakes. He then cleared his throat and swallowed his food. "So, Amara..."

"Mmhmm?"

"Your family's position in the Pale Moon Pack. What was it?"

Amara looked at him innocently. "My dad was Alpha and my mom was Luna."

Gabriel's eyes went wide, then he looked at Sonya. "You said you were an only child?" he asked, glancing back at her.

"Uh huh."

"Well, who was supposed to take over your pack after your father?"

"Me."

Everyone went silent and Amara went back to eating.

"A female Alpha?" Benjamin said with a laugh. "I've never heard of such a thing. Was your old man crazy?"

"Benjamin!" Sonya scolded.

Amara stopped eating and narrowed her green eyes at Benjamin. She stood up slowly, her chair sliding against the hardwood floor. She rested her hands on the table.

"Do _not_ insult my father again!" Amara shouted.

Gabriel, Sonya and Janine blinked at Amara in shock while Benjamin smirked at her. "Why? What are _you_ gonna do about it?"

 _"The nerve of this guy..."_ Amara thought.

"Benjamin," Gabriel snarled. "Amara is our guest. Treat her with respect."

Benjamin rolled his eyes. "Fiiine. I'm sorry," he said in a mocking tone.

Amara growled at him but she sat back down and began to pick at her food. She wasn't very hungry anymore.

"May I be excused?" she asked. "I would...really like to get going."

Gabriel nearly choked on his food. "Going? Going where?"

"Just...wherever, I guess. I'm a rogue now. I don't fit in anywhere."

Amara lowered her head to stare at her legs in shame. Tears threatened to fill her eyes but she fought them back. She just needed to accept that she was on her own now.

"Amara," Sonya began. "Listen. Gabriel and I talked, and he also spoke with the whole pack last night. We want you to join the Red Blood Pack."

Amara slowly lifted her gaze and looked at the two adults. "You...you what?" she stammered.

"We are asking you to join our pack. And we'd also like it very much if you lived with us here."

Janine gasped. "Oh my god! I always wanted a sister!"

Benjamin rolled his eyes with a grin. "Oh great. Now there's gonna be two of you."

Amara glared at Benjamin for a brief moment before looking at the other three. "I...I don't know what to say."

"You can start by saying yes," Gabriel laughed.

Amara started giggling and nodded her head, the corners of her eyes crinkling. "Yes. Yes, I will join the pack."

Amara couldn't believe it. She wasn't going to be a rogue after all. These people were willing to accept her into their pack and their home without hesitation. This was amazing!

"Now, we'll have to do an induction ceremony for you and we should do it as soon as possible," Sonya explained. "Which means we will have to take you shopping for some clothes."

"Can't we go back to my old house and get my clothes?" Amara asked with hope in her eyes.

Sonya frowned and looked at Gabriel. Gabriel had a similar expression and sighed. "I hate to tell you this, Little One, but...everything was burned to the ground."

Amara's smile and hope faded and her eyes began to water. "What? A-Are you sure?"

"I'm afraid so. Leo told me himself."

Amara shut her eyes and sniffled as tears rolled down her cheeks. "What about their bodies? They need to have funerals so their spirits can return to the Moon Goddess!"

Gabriel held up a hand. "And we will do that, Amara, I promise. We just need time to prepare. Now, do you know how many pack members you had?"

"A hundred twenty two pack members."

Gabriel widened his eyes. "I'm surprised you knew that."

"My dad was training me to take over the pack. This included knowing all my pack members." Amara looked at Gabriel, trying to bury her pain. "How many pack members does Red Blood have?"

"Four hundred fifty."

Amara's jaw went agape and her eyes widened. "Four hundred fifty?"

"Yes, and you will make four hundred fifty one."

Amara nodded and poked at her food. The events of the night before were really catching up to her. She felt a huge hole in her heart for all her dead packmates. As the Alpha's daughter, Amara felt she had to be included in helping prepare the death ceremonies. She brought this up to Gabriel and he nodded in approval.

Over the next couple of days, some of the Red Blood pack members treaded into Pale Moon's territory along with Amara to build pyres for the burnings of the bodies. By day three, it was all finished. Alpha Gabriel led the ceremony and Amara was grateful. As was part of the funeral rites, Amara cut her hand and splayed blood on all the funeral pyres, including those of her parents.

When the pyres were lit, Amara could smell the death and smoke. As she watched the bodies of her packmates burn, her eyes filled with bitter tears. She hated the rogues who had torn her family and pack apart. She vowed that day that if she ever found them, she would avenge the Pale Moon Pack and kill all the rogues involved.

A few days later, Amara was ready for her induction ceremony. Gabriel led the initiation, of course, asking that Amara pledge her loyalty and life to the new pack. Amara accepted this condition. They sliced their palms with a ceremonial dagger and joined hands. Immediately, Amara could feel the power of the Red Blood Pack. It was intense. Howls erupted in the air as all the members felt her enter the Pack Bond.

 _"You did well, Little One,"_ Amara heard Gabriel say through the mind link. _"Your parents would be proud."_

 _"Thank you, Alpha,"_ Amara replied in the link.

* * *

It was some days later when Amara was sleeping in her bed. She tossed and turned in her sleep, dreaming horrible things about the night her pack was killed. Red, burning eyes were chasing her and the sounds of her mother screaming echoed in her mind. Suddenly there was pain. Sharp, blinding pain. And it was everywhere. Amara woke and sat up. The pain in her body was excruciating.

 _"What is happening to me?"_ she thought.

She tried to get out of bed but she ended up falling to the floor. Bones crunched and joints shifted in her body. Amara then realized what was happening. She was shifting for the first time.

"Gabriel? Sonya? Help!" she screamed out.

Amara continued to cry and scream from the pain. The door burst open to reveal Gabriel and Sonya in their pajamas. They knelt down to Amara and frowned.

"What in the Goddess' name is going on?" Benjamin asked as he walked in. "Is she having another nightmare?"

"Amara is shifting," Gabriel replied. "Benjamin, go get some cool wash cloths."

Amara could feel her body sweating profusely as her agonizing change continued. This was the most painful thing she'd ever experienced in her life. She felt like she was on fire. Janine walked in to see what was going on and gasped at the sight.

It took almost an hour for her transformation to be complete as hands changed into paws, ears and teeth elongated, a tail grew and fur appeared on her body. A low, inhumane growl erupted from her throat as the pain went on, but it finally stopped and Amara stood on all fours, shaking her body of the stresses of the shift.

Gabriel and his family looked at Amara with shocked faces and gasps. This confused Amara and she sniffed the air. Everything looked and smelled and sounded different.

"Gabriel..." Sonya uttered. "She's..."

"I know," Gabriel said.

Amara tilted her head to one side before raising her head and howling loudly. She felt fantastic! However, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and blinked. She padded over to it and studied herself.

All her fur was black.

That was an extremely rare occurance according to her knowledge. While some werewolves considered it a blessing to have a black wolf in the pack, there were many others who considered it a curse. She looked back at the family, scared of what they thought. Would they accept her or cast her out?

 _"We should go out for a run,"_ a voice said inside her head.

Was this her wolf?

 _"Who are you?"_ Amara asked.

_"I'm Dakota, your wolf."_

Amara kept her eyes on the astonished family and whined. Clearly they were too shocked to tell her how they felt.

"Dad," Benjamin said. "What do we do?"

Gabriel got down to one knee and gestured for Amara to come to him. She hesitated for a moment before trotting over.

"Amara, I need you to shift back," he said.

Amara whimpered and groaned at that. She didn't want to shift back. She wanted to go out and play. She wanted to go out for a run. She wanted to howl at the moon for joy.

"Amara, shift," Gabriel demanded in his Alpha voice.

Amara cocked her head to the side. Strange. She felt no need to listen to him. Even though Alpha blood ran through her veins, she was still supposed to obey her Alpha.

Gabriel stood up. He looked very confused. "Why isn't my Alpha voice working on you?"

"Dad," Janine said. "What are you gonna do? What's gonna happen when the pack finds out she's a black wolf?"

"Nothing," Gabriel said, standing up. "Not everyone thinks the black wolf is a curse, Janine. I certainly don't."

Amara's tail wagged and she licked Gabriel's hand. This was certainly a good thing. Maybe she wouldn't be cast out after all.

"But Dad, you know what the Elders say about black wolves. They can't be trusted," Benjamin said, glaring down at Amara. "They're too wild, too unpredictable."

Gabriel turned to his son. "Not all the Elders say that, son. Elder Wilson and Elder Raquel think the black wolf is a gift from the Moon Goddess. We should be grateful for this."

"Grateful?! What if you're wrong?! We need to cast her out!"

Gabriel stood up and faced his son. "Do not tell me what we need to do, Benjamin!" Gabriel yelled angrily. "I am still your father and Alpha!"

Benjamin bowed his head. "Yes, Father," he growled.

"Well, I think this is so cool!" Janine blurted out.

Gabriel looked at Sonya who looked worried. "Sonya? What's your opinion on the matter?"

Sonya sighed and rubbed her face. "I'm worried about how people will treat her once they find out what she is. They might call for her to be cast out, or worse."

Amara groaned and laid down on the floor, putting her snout between her paws. She'd just joined the pack, now they were talking about her being exiled. This wasn't good.

"That won't happen, not while I'm the Alpha of this pack," Gabriel said defiantly.

Amara raised her head and whined at Gabriel. She then looked at Benjamin who was still glaring down at her. What would happen to her once Benjamin was Alpha? Would he exile her? Kill her?

"Benjamin, Janine, you both should get back to bed," Gabriel said.

Both the children left but not before Benjamin gave Amara a death glare. Amara growled at him and got up on her paws.

"I'll call for a gathering tomorrow to inform the pack of the situation. In the meantime," he smiled down at Amara, "who wants to go for a run?"

Amara's ears perked up and she barked excitedly, wagging her tail vigorously. She ran past them to the stairs and rushed to the front door. While clawing at it, begging for it to be opened, Gabriel laughed and opened the door for her.

"Now wait a second, Little One. We're gonna go with you," Gabriel chuckled.

Sonya and Gabriel quickly got undressed before exiting the house and shifting into their wolves. Amara was surprised to see that Sonya was white with gray splotches here and there. The wolves quickly ran into the forest and Amara howled up at the moon with joy in her heart.


	2. Cursed

_F_ _ive years later..._

"Wake up, Amara!"

Amara shot up in her bed with bloodshot eyes trying to come into focus. She shook her head and jerked it to look at Janine.

"What? What's going on?" Amara asked hurriedly.

"You overslept! We need to get to school!" Janine exclaimed.

"Oh crap!"

Amara hurled herself out of bed and ran to her dresser to pull out clothes. Janine giggled at her as Amara yanked out a pair of blue jeans. She was about to pull out of her pajama bottoms when she glared at Janine.

"Do you mind?!" she shouted.

Janine laughed loudly and exited the room, closing the door behind her. Amara hurriedly took her pajamas off, changed underwear, put on a bra and slipped up her jeans, bouncing on one foot to hurry it up. Clothes flew about as she searched for a proper shirt.

"Aha!" she said as she grabbed a black Metallica shirt and put it on.

She ran to her bathroom and brushed her teeth, then she worked on her hair. She didn't have time to straighten it from its wavy locks today so a simple brushing would have to do. Running from the bathroom, she grabbed socks and put them on.

"Amara, come on!" Janine shouted from behind the door.

"I'm going as fast as I can, Janine!" Amara yelled viciously, hopping on one foot to pull a sock on.

She managed to get it on then she put on the other sock before grabbing her blue and white tennis shoes and slipping them on. Amara swiped her phone from the nightstand, pocketed it, grabbed her AC/DC backpack and hoisted it on her shoulder. She burst through the door and ran with Janine down the stairs.

"Girls, don't you need breakfast?" Sonya shouted from the kitchen.

"Nope! We're too late for breakfast!" Janine shouted.

"What? Hell no! I require sustenance!" Amara laughed as she ran to the kitchen. "I'll just grab something simple!"

"Amara, we're late enough as it is!" Janine scolded.

Amara quickly ravaged through the cupboards, grabbed a chocolate chip granola bar, thought for a second, grabbed two more, kissed Sonya on the cheek and ran out of the kitchen.

"Okay, let's go!" Amara exclaimed happily.

The girls rushed to grab their coats and barged out of the house only to bump into Benjamin. Amara immediately took a step back from him.

 _"Great, just what I need,"_ she thought.

"What's your hurry?" the 6'3" boy asked them both.

"We're gonna be late for school!" Janine screeched.

"I can drive you," Benjamin offered with a casual smile.

Amara lifted her gaze and their eyes met. Benjamin was a tall, muscular hunk of a werewolf. His hair was short and blonde in a crew cut and his eyes were violet, just like his mother. Today, he was in a black leather jacket, a tight black t-shirt and straight blue jeans with tan work boots adoring his feet. Amara thought he was...quite the specimen, but she didn't waste time on a crush. The boy was a complete manwhore. He'd snuck countless girls into their home at night to have sex with and some of them weren't exactly quiet about it, either.

Besides that, her and Benjamin didn't really get along. All because she had a black wolf. He didn't like having a black wolf in the pack and he made sure Amara knew it, but she bounced right back and let him know she didn't like an asshole like him in the pack.

However, for the last couple of weeks, he'd really toned down on the hate and he just blatantly ignored her. But now...now he was studying her, eyeing her like she was actually interesting to look at.

And it made her extremely uncomfortable.

"No thanks," Amara said, brushing past him. "Janine, let's go."

Amara heard a growl behind her and she quickened her pace to Janine's car. Janine followed but was giggling the whole way. Amara didn't know what the hell was so funny.

"Amara, c'mon. Let me drive you," Benjamin called after her.

"I'd rather get drop kicked into a pool of acid than to have you drive me around in your stupid car!" Amara snapped loudly.

"Well fine then!" he yelled.

Janine and Amara got into the car and drove off. Amara scowled as they drove out of the housing area and onto the main road.

"What the hell was that all about?" Janine asked.

"I have no friggin idea," Amara huffed. "He's been acting strange these last couple of weeks."

"Yeah, I noticed." Janine suddenly gasped and looked at her. "Maybe he likes you!"

Amara laughed and started chomping down on a granola bar. "Oh, don't make me puke! I'm eating!"

Janine cackled loudly and looked back at the road. "Oh come on! That's gotta be it! He was ogling you like you were candy!"

"He was not!"

"Was so!" Janine guffawed.

Amara took another bite of her granola bar. "Whatever, can we just not talk about it anymore?"

"Oh fine, party pooper." Janine was quiet for a few moments before speaking up again. "Speaking of parties, are you ready for your birthday this weekend?"

"Meh. Maybe."

"You'd think you'd be more excited considering you're gonna turn eighteen," Janine observed. "It's when you get to find-"

Amara rolled her eyes. "Yeah, find my mate and blah blah blah."

"What, you don't want to kiss a boy?" Janine teased.

"It's not that. I just find the whole thing...constricting."

"You won't think that when it happens."

"That's easy for you to say. You already found yours."

"Yes, and it was the happiest moment of my life."

Amara couldn't help but do another eye roll. By the time they reached the school, Amara had consumed all three granola bars and she was still hungry. They got out of the car and Janine immediately ran over to see her mate, Logan Hughes. Another one of Amara's bullies, she avoided him like the plague. That didn't do much help, though.

Amara quickly went into the school to her locker. It wasn't hard to miss considering "CURSED" was written on it. She opened it, grabbed some stuff and shut it before heading off to math class. It was the only class she truly dreaded with every fiber of her being. Why?

Because not only was this the class she was bullied the most, the teacher also hated her and pretty much allowed it.

As she walked in, Mrs. Johnson, the short brunette of a woman, sneered at Amara. Amara ignored her and went to her seat. Someone stuck out their foot and she almost tripped but she caught herself and sent the kid a glare.

"Really? It's too early for that crap," Amara said before sitting down.

"Oh it's never too early for me, Cursed," the boy said.

Amara flipped him the bird and the school bell rang. Mrs. Johnson asked for everyone's homework assignments and Amara passed hers up. Unfortunately, one of the kids ripped Amara's sheet in half.

"Oops," the girl mocked.

Amara did a face palm but the teacher grabbed the ripped pieces anyway and put them with the rest of the papers. She then immediately started writing about their next lesson on the chalkboard.

The class surprisingly went by fast and before Amara knew it, the bell rang. Everyone got out of their seats and went for the door.

"Miss Jenson," the teacher said. "A word?"

 _"Crap,"_ Amara thought.

Amara walked to Mrs. Johnson's desk. "Yes, Mrs. Johnson?"

"I've noticed lately that you've been making a lot of mistakes with your homework. Are you not able to follow the lesson?"

Amara frowned and lowered her head. "No, I'm able to. I've just...been distracted lately, I guess."

"Have you not been sleeping well? You look tired."

Amara blinked. Since when was Mrs. Johnson concerned about her well being?

"I suppose I have had trouble sleeping lately, yeah."

"The anniversary of your old pack's demise was this past weekend, yes?"

Amara's jaw clenched at the mention of it but then she quickly relaxed. "...Yes."

"I thought so." Mrs. Johnson adjusted herself in her seat. "Well, if I was responsible for something like that, I'd have a hard time sleeping too."

Amara's eye twitched and she let out a low growl. "Excuse me?"

"Well, you're a black wolf. You're cursed. Obviously that had something to do with them all being slaughtered."

 _"Oh, that bitch,"_ Dakota said. _"I'll tear her apart!"_

Amara had to fight back her wolf from coming out as well as hot tears. "...Is there anything else, Mrs. Johnson?"

Mrs. Johnson gave her a fake, toothy smile. "That'll be all, Miss Jenson. You may go."

Amara turned on her heel and stormed out of the classroom. She suddenly didn't feel so well. She immediately ran to the front doors and burst through them with tears in her eyes. She didn't want to be in school for the rest of the day. Amara needed to go for a run and go home.

When she reached the forest, she changed out of her clothes and shoes, put them in her back pack and shifted into her black wolf. Amara was a pretty large wolf, considering her Alpha blood. She picked up the back pack in her mouth and went running through the woods.

 _"Amara, it wasn't our fault_ _,"_ Dakota said. _"We need to go back to school."_

Amara ignored Dakota and kept running. She ran for miles until she reached the front steps of her house. As she was about to shift, the door opened to reveal Gabriel and he looked down at her with a surprised look.

"Amara? What are you doing home?" he asked.

Amara, in her wolf form, bolted past him and went running up the stairs, ignoring Gabriel as he called out for her. She ran to her open room and shut the door with her nose. Amara jumped on the bed and whined, covering her face with her paws.

"Amara?" Gabriel said, slowly opening her door. "What's wrong?"

Amara whimpered and whined, not wanting to shift just now. She felt the bed dip.

"Amara, what happened?"

She didn't want to talk to anyone. She felt him stroke her fur and she instantly relaxed.

"Amara, talk to me."

Amara got up and buried herself underneath the blankets, making Gabriel laugh a little. Amara shifted back into her human form and poked her head out from underneath the covers, frowning up at the Alpha.

"Don't laugh at me," she said, tears filling her emerald eyes again.

Gabriel frowned as he looked down at her. "Sorry." He reached out for her and stroked her head. "Tell me what happened."

Amara sighed and wiped her eyes. "Mrs. Johnson. She blamed me for my old pack's death because I'm cursed."

Gabriel's eyes filled with anger. "She said that to you?"

"Yeah."

Gabriel growled and narrowed his eyes. "Oh, she and I are going to have words."

"Well, I would hope so. I hate that woman so much and she's always had it out for me."

Gabriel bent down and kissed Amara's forehead. "Don't you worry. I'm gonna have that woman fired."

Amara giggled. "I'd love to see that."

"Would you? Well, get dressed and let's go back to the school so we can get her fired."

"Wait, seriously? You would do that?" Amara asked with raised eyebrows.

"Of course. No one messes with my kid," Gabriel replied with a smile before getting up. "I'll let you get dressed."

When he left the room, Amara got up and grabbed her clothes from her back pack. Once dressed, she raced down the hall and stairs with a newfound pep in her step. Gabriel was waiting for her at the front door.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road," he remarked.

The two left the house and went towards Gabriel's car, then they got in and drove off.

* * *

"I do apologize for her actions, Alpha Forrester, but we can't just fire her. She's one of our best teachers," Principal Anderson explained fearfully.

Alpha Gabriel leaned across the desk with fury in his sapphire eyes. "Yes you can. And you will because I said so. What she said to Amara is inexcusable!" he growled. "As your Alpha, I demand her removal!"

Amara shifted in her seat. While she was pleased that she would no longer have to deal with Mrs. Johnson, she also felt a little bad for her. A little. And seeing Gabriel's anger was never pretty.

Principal Anderson sighed. "Yes, Alpha."

"Good," Gabriel said. "Now call her in here so we can get this done."

"N-Now?"

"Yes! _Now!"_

Anderson frowned and picked up the desk phone, dialing in Mrs. Johnson's number. Amara bit her lip and looked up at Gabriel who gave her a wink.

"Mrs. Johnson? I need to see you in my office immediately," Anderson said.

Amara gulped and lowered her head. She felt a hand on her shoulder as the principal hung up the phone. After a few minutes there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Anderson said.

The door opened and Mrs. Johnson walked in. "Yes, Mr. Anderson?" Gabriel turned around to face her and she blanched. "Oh, hello Alpha Forrester," she said with a head bow.

Gabriel growled at her and turned his back to her. Amara watched Mrs. Johnson fearfully walk up to the desk. She must've known she was in trouble.

"Mrs. Johnson," Anderson said, clearing his throat. "I'm afraid we're gonna have to let you go."

Mrs. Johnson gasped. "W-What? Why?"

Amara rolled her eyes. _"She's seriously asking that?"_ she thought.

"Because of your words to Miss Jenson this morning," Anderson explained. "What you said was highly inappropriate."

Mrs. Johnson glared down at Amara. "You little-"

Gabriel took a step towards Johnson with a low growl, as if daring her to finish that sentence. "Be careful what you say next, Mrs. Johnson, or I'll have you exiled as well."

Amara's eyes widened at Gabriel's words. She didn't think he would go that far. Would he?

Mrs. Johnson bowed her head in submission. "Yes, Alpha."

"I expect you to have your desk cleared out by the end of the day, Mrs. Johnson. See to it now," Anderson said.

Mrs. Johnson gave Amara a small glare before leaving the office. Amara let out the breath she was holding in and gave Gabriel a small grin.

"Well, now that that's over...Amara, I apologize for what Mrs. Johnson said to you," Anderson stated.

Amara shrugged. "No need. It's not your fault she said it."

Anderson nodded. "I appreciate your understanding."

Amara and Gabriel left after excusing themselves and Amara sighed in content. She was finally going to be rid of that witch of a math teacher.

"We're you really going to exile her, Gabriel?" she asked him.

"If she said anything else bad, then yes. Like I said," Gabriel started, throwing an arm around her as they walked to the front doors. "Nobody messes with my kid."

"Thank you," she said meekly.

"You're welcome. Now, let's go home."

"You're gonna let me stay home?"

"Sure. You had a rough morning and I don't want you around that ugly little mutt while she's stewing."

Amara cackled loudly and kissed Gabriel's cheek. The two got into the car and left the parking lot.


	3. The New Teacher

After being taken to IHOP for pancakes, Amara and Gabriel came back home. Amara was in higher spirits now and skipped through the house to the tv room. However, her mood instantly changed when she saw who was in the room watching tv.

Benjamin.

He noticed her and smiled. "Hey," he said.

Amara blinked. "Um...hey?"

He got up and walked to her. "What are you doing home?"

Amara shifted her feet and looked down. "Long story."

"Are you feeling okay?" Why did he even care? Amara shook her head and turned to leave but Benjamin grabbed her hand to stop her. "Hey, wait a second."

Amara paused. Did he just grab her hand? She looked at their hands then she looked at him. "What is it?" she asked in annoyance.

"Are you okay?" he asked with concern in his voice.

Amara glared up at him. "Why do you even care?"

Benjamin scoffed at her. "I guess...I dunno."

Amara rolled her eyes and walked away, but Benjamin followed her. She went into the kitchen to look for a snack so she started rummaging through the pantry. A bag of Lays chips was at the top and she went to reach for it but couldn't. She grunted as she got on her tippy toes.

"You want me to get that for you?" Benjamin asked, laughing at her.

"No, I got it," she replied with a groan.

Benjamin sighed and reached up, easily grabbing the chips. Amara growled and grabbed at the chips but he pulled it back. She narrowed her emerald eyes at him.

"Give me the chips."

Benjamin shook his head, opened the bag and took a chip to eat. "Not until you say please."

Amara jutted her jaw to the side, looking very annoyed. "Please."

Benjamin wiggled his eyebrows and put another chip in his mouth. "Naw, I don't think you mean it."

Amara snatched at the bag but he pulled back again. She was trying not to smirk at his playfulness. Benjamin held the bag over his head and gave her a devious smile. Amara jumped up for it but he moved it out of her reach. She tried again but missed by an inch.

"Benjamin, I'm not in the mood. Just give me the damn chips!"

"Not until you tell me what happened."

Amara huffed a puff of air. "You're such a child! Give me the chips!"

She jumped again and snatched at the bag but Benjamin was too quick for her.

"Tell me why you're home from school and I'll give you the chips."

Amara sighed in irritation. "Mrs. Johnson said I was responsible for the death of the Pale Moon Pack. Because I'm cursed. Now give me the-"

"She what?!" Benjamin snarled angrily. "You should've killed her where she stood!"

Amara blinked in shock at him. "Oh for crying out loud, it's no worse than the things you've said to me!"

A frown appeared on Benjamin's face. "I know, but-"

"But what, Benjamin? You're no better than her! You're no better than anyone who has made me feel guilty for the death of my pack, or made me feel bad for having a black wolf, or made me feel like I really am cursed! You've always been right along side them all! What makes you so different?!" Amara shouted in his face.

Benjamin's frown deepened and he sighed. "You're right. I'm no different. But I was wrong and so are they."

Amara blinked madly. Did he really just say that? "...Excuse me?"

"I was wrong to bully you about it and so is everyone else. You didn't kill your pack and you're not cursed."

Amara cocked her head to the side, eyeing him suspiciously. "Is this a joke? Are you setting me up for one of your stupid pranks?"

"What? No."

"I'm not falling for it, Benjamin!" Amara snagged the bag of chips from him and walked out of the kitchen.

"Amara!" he called out.

Amara ignored him and stormed up the stairs to her room, shut the door and locked it. She growled in frustration and sat on the bed. The nerve of him! This was an all time low for him to try and trick her this way.

"Amara, open the door please," she heard Benjamin say behind the door.

"Go away, Benjamin!" she snapped.

"Please? I swear I'm not pulling a prank."

"I don't believe you! Now go away!"

Amara heard Benjamin walk away from her door and she scowled, resting on her bed and digging into the chips. She turned on the tv in her room and started watching some Dragon Ball Z. It was a fight between Goku and Frieza on the planet Namek.

As the show went in, Amara finished her bag of chips and tossed them in the garbage. She was now very thirsty. She went down to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water then quickly went back to her room to avoid Benjamin. She plopped back on the bed and continued watching her show. Apparently it was a DBZ marathon.

Amara thought about the events of that day and couldn't honestly say if it was a good or bad day. Mrs. Johnson insulted her, bad. She got fired, good. Amara got pancakes, also good. Benjamin...

 _"I wonder what he's up to..."_ she thought. _"Dakota, do you think he was being sincere?"_

 _"I think so, but I wonder why this sudden change with him has happened. Perhaps you should ask him?"_ Dakota replied.

"Hmm." Amara turned off the tv and got off the bed, then she left her bedroom in search of Benjamin. He had some explaining to do. "Benjamin?" she called out.

His bedroom door opened and Amara gasped. He was dripping wet and was in nothing but a towel draped around his waist. And he was _gorgeous_ that way. She immediately turned away.

"Yes Amara?" he said.

"I was...wondering if we could talk?"

"Oh, _now_ you want to talk..."

Amara rolled her eyes and turned to face him, but her cheeks instantly flushed at the sight of him so she looked away.

"Yes, now can you please get dressed?"

"Why? See something you like?"

"No," she replied through gritted teeth.

Benjamin chuckled and sighed. "Alright, hang on a minute. I'll meet you in your room."

Amara nodded and went back her room. After a few minutes of waiting, Benjamin walked in with a white t-shirt and a pair of bootcut blue jeans. He hooked his thumbs into his pockets and leaned against the door frame.

"So...what's up?" he asked her.

Amara bit her lip and stared at him. "Were you being serious earlier? About...all that stuff you said? I mean really serious?"

Benjamin nodded. "Mmhmm."

Amara sighed and walked to him. "Why?"

He rubbed the back of his head and made a confused expression. "I don't know. I just woke up one day and...felt different about you."

Amara squinted her eyes at him. "You expect me to believe that?"

"I guess not, but I do feel different about you, Amara. I've wronged you and I would like to make up for it."

Amara gave him a nod. "Okay."

"So you'll let me try to make things up?"

Amara threw her hands up. "I guess so."

What harm could it do, really? It'd be one less bully to worry about, anyway.

"Thanks, Amara," Benjamin said with a smile.

"Uh, you're welcome, I guess."

Benjamin snickered and looked out in the hallway. "Well, I need to head out. I got a date. But if you let me, I can take you to school tomorrow."

Amara smiled bashfully. "Um, okay. Sure."

Benjamin nodded and left her room. Amara shut the door and blinked. What the hell was going on with Benjamin?

* * *

The next day, Amara let Benjamin drive her to school. She really needed to get her own car. Maybe she could ask for a raise at her job so she could afford one. She thanked Benjamin, got out of the car and walked into school. She wondered who would be their substitute teacher.

When she walked into math class, her feet stopped at the sight before her.

At the blackboard was a very tall, very well dressed man. He couldn't be older than his early twenties and he had the most beautiful light blue eyes Amara had ever seen on anyone. He had a small mole on his left cheek which she found adorable and he had a stubble beard and mustache. His hair was red and curly and tousled back with some sort of hair product. He wore a gray suit with black suspenders, a black tie and a white shirt.

 _"Holy moly..."_ Dakota said. _"This is the new math teacher?"_

 _"Maybe he's just a substitute,"_ Amara thought.

"Hello. I'm Mr. Shaw, your new math teacher," he introduced himself with a Scottish accent.

 _"Oh sweet Goddess, he's Scottish,"_ Amara thought.

"Um...uh...hi," Amara stammered. "I'm Amara Jenson."

"It's nice to meet you, Amara."

Amara smiled awkwardly and noticed she was the only one in class besides herself and Mr. Shaw. She gulped and quickly took her seat, pulling out her math book and notebook. How did they find a new permanent teacher so quickly? As she was going over the lesson in her book, she noticed Mr. Shaw was looking at her and she lifted her gaze to meet his. He was studying her intently with his icy blue eyes and Amara found herself blushing.

"So, um...you're from Scotland?" she blurted out.

Mr. Shaw chuckled. "You caught the accent, huh? Yes, I'm from Scotland."

"Huh."

Amara went back to looking at her math book but she could feel his eyes on her still. She raised her eyes once more and blinked.

"Um, not to be rude but...is there a reason you're staring at me?" she asked.

"I apologize, Amara. I know it's a little inappropriate, but I was informed that you have a black wolf and you're...not at all what I expected."

_"Oh great, another hater."_

"Word gets around fast here, I guess," she muttered through clenched teeth.

Before the teacher could say anything else, the rest of the class came waltzing in. Some of the girls took one look at Mr. Shaw and started giggling amongst themselves. Soon the bell rang and Mr. Shaw wrote his name on the board.

"Hello, class. I'm Mr. Shaw, your new math teacher. I'm from Glasgow, Scotland. Now why don't you all stand up, introduce yourselves to me and say one thing about yourself?"

All the kids looked at each other with confused faces before they started naming off their names and introducing themselves. When he got to Amara, she swallowed hard and stood up from her desk.

"I'm Amara Jenson, and I'm-"

"Cursed!" someone yelled.

The whole class burst into giggles and Mr. Shaw narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me, Mr. Lang, was it?"

"Yeah?" Kevin Lang said.

"Why don't you head down to the principal's office and explain to him that you interrupted my class?"

Amara's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide. Did the teacher just defend her? Kevin groaned, grabbed his stuff and left the room. Mr. Shaw looked back at Amara.

"You may continue, Amara," he said.

Amara grasped her arm and sighed. "I'm Amara Jenson and my favorite band is Metallica," she said before sitting down.

The rest of the class introduced themselves and then Mr. Shaw jumped right into the lesson that Mrs. Johnson left off on. Amara had issues focusing on the lesson because she kept thinking about what Benjamin had said yesterday. But she was also distracted by the new teacher's accent. It was so...so...sexy.

 _"Damnit, Amara, pull yourself together,"_ Amara thought.

Suddenly the bell rang and everyone started putting their stuff in their backpacks.

"Now, remember class, I want you to do the odd numbers on pages forty one and forty two of your math books tonight," Mr. Shaw reminded. Amara got out of her seat and walked towards the door. "Amara?"

She stopped and turned to look at Mr. Shaw. "Yes?"

Mr. Shaw leaned back in his chair and eyed her intensely. "I'm sorry about what Kevin said to you. Are you okay?"

Amara blinked and pulled her backpack up on her shoulder. "Yes, I'm fine. Um, it's okay. I'm used to it by now."

Mr. Shaw made a soft frown. "So this is a common occurance?"

"Yes. With a lot of people."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Amara shook her head. "It's fine. There are plenty others who think I'm more of a blessing, really. Which is nice."

"I see. Well, if you ever need to talk about this bullying, Amara, my door is always open."

Amara blinked a few times. "Um, sure. Thanks."

"You're welcome," he said with a smile.

Amara turned and left the class with a small smile on her face. Well, that was certainly refreshing.

* * *

By the end of the school day, Amara was in high spirits. Nobody had teased her today which she found rather odd but it was a welcome change. She bounded down the steps towards Benjamin's car and got in with a smile on her face. He looked at her with a grin.

"Well somebody's in a good mood," he said.

"Yeah," she said, buckling her seat belt. "Only one person made fun of me today and our new teacher made him go to the principal's office."

"What new teacher?" Benjamin asked as they drove away.

"Mrs. Johnson's replacement. Didn't I tell you that your dad had her fired for what she said to me?"

Benjamin laughed. "No. Well, I'm glad that bitch is gone. Now, who's this new teacher?"

Amara smiled to herself. "His name is Mr. Shaw. He's from Scotland."

"Scotland, huh? I wonder what he's doing here?"

Amara shrugged. "I dunno but he seems very nice," she said with a dreamy sigh.

Benjamin tensed. "Nice, huh?"

"Yeah. And, well, he's actually very...easy on the eyes," Amara giggled.

Amara saw Benjamin grip the steering wheel tightly. "Easy on the eyes? Do you got a crush on him or something?"

"No," she said bashfully.

Benjamin slammed on the brakes and turned to look at her intensely.

"Amara, are you lying to me?" he growled.

Amara scrunched her face in confusion. "No, and even if I was, what business of it is yours?"

Benjamin bit his lip and growled. "Amara, you can't have a crush on a teacher!"

"Oh why not? It's not like anything will happen!" she snapped.

Benjamin's eyes flashed with anger. "So you _do_ have a crush on him!"

"Alright, so what if I do? Why are you getting so angry about it?!"

Amara didn't actually have a crush on her new teacher, but she was mildly curious to see where this argument was going. She was very confused as to why Benjamin would be so infuriated about it.

"Wait a minute...are you...are you jealous?" Amara asked in shock.

"What? No! I'm just a concerned party!" Benjamin yelled.

"Since when are you allowed to be a concerned party?!"

"I thought since yesterday, after our talk!"

"Well you're still a long way from being in my inner circle, buddy!" Amara shouted before unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out of the car.

"Where are you going?!" Benjamin yelled.

"I can walk from here!" Amara yelled behind her.

"Fine!" Benjamin bellowed before slamming the door and speeding off.

Amara huffed and puffed angrily on the side of the road and walked towards the forest. Once she was there, she took off her clothes and shoes, put them in her backpack and shifted into her wolf.

 _"What an asshole,"_ Dakota said.

 _"Yeah, no kidding,"_ Amara said.

Amara picked up the backpack into her mouth and started trotting off towards home when she sniffed something in the air. There were multiple wolves about. A lot of them.

They appeared out from behind the trees with their jaws drooling and snarls erupting from their throats.

 _"Oh great,"_ Amara thought.


	4. Savior

Amara dropped her back pack and growled deeply at the wolves circling her. There were seven of them circling around her. Her hackles raised and her teeth bared as she snarled at any wolf who dared to get close. One charged and Amara snatched him by the neck before tossing him into a tree with a smash.

The others jumped at her and the fight began. Teeth and claws marred her legs and body but Amara refused to yield. One by one, she ripped the wolves off her and sent them flying and cowering before her. Blood colored drool and froth dripped from her mouth as she tore at her enemies, burying her teeth into their necks and flailing them about. Just when she thought she'd won, more wolves came out of the wood work.

_"Crap!"_

Amara was assaulted once more but she refused to give up on the fight despite her injuries. Howls, barks and snarls filled the forest as the battle ensued. Amara was losing. There were just too many of them.

Suddenly there was a howling from a distance and then there was a flash of red fur. Amara's attackers were sent into trunks of trees and tackled by an unknown alpha sized red wolf. Amara stood on shaky legs as she watched him fight bravely to defend her, but who was he? Necks were snapped by him and soon the other wolves tucked tail and ran. He howled at the sky as a warning to stay away before his icy blue eyes turned to Amara.

Amara felt her wounds healing but she was still quite shaky. She plopped to the ground with a whine and the red wolf ran to her. He shifted into his human form and Amara realized it was Mr. Shaw.

"Amara, are you alright?" he asked, his voice full of worry.

Amara whimpered and slowly got up, shaking her head and body. She thought about shifting but realized Mr. Shaw would see her naked and she didn't want that. Then she realized he was naked and she averted her eyes with a groan. Still, she'd seen enough to know the man was built like a brick shithouse.

"Oh, sorry," he chuckled. "Do you want me to get dressed?"

Amara groaned at him and he ran off for a moment behind a tree. He came back out with nothing but his briefs on and she rolled her eyes. Well, that was still covering up the important bits. Amara staggered over to her back pack and shifted behind a tree before grabbing her clothes.

"Are you alright?" Mr. Shaw called out.

"Yes, I'm okay. Thank you," she replied as she got her clothes on.

Once she was done getting dressed, Amara walked out from behind the tree to see Mr. Shaw was also dressed in his suit. She bit her lip and picked up her back pack.

"Thank you, Mr. Shaw," she said sheepishly.

"You're welcome," he replied. "Who were those wolves?"

"I didn't recognize any of them," she answered with a shrug. "Probably some bullies that wanted to hurt me. It's nothing new."

Mr. Shaw's eyes bugged out. "This has happened before?"

"Yes, but never so many all at once. They're getting bolder," she said with a sigh.

"They didn't seem like high school pups to me. These ones were trained for battle," Mr. Shaw observed.

Again, Amara shrugged. "I wouldn't worry about it."

Mr. Shaw chuckled and approached her. "Tough one, aren't you?"

"Well, I try to be," Amara joked.

Mr. Shaw smiled brightly at her before clearing his throat. "Would you like a ride home, Amara? I think you'd be safer that way."

Amara nodded and the two walked through the forest, the sounds of crunching leaves being the only sounds they were making.

"How did you even find me?" Amara asked.

"I was on my way home when I heard you. My house isn't very far from the school."

"Oh. Huh, did you buy the old Hanson house here?" she asked.

"Yes, I did. Do you know it?"

"All the kids know it. It's supposed to be haunted, you know."

Mr. Shaw gaped at her. "What?"

Amara shook her head and laughed. "Just kidding."

Mr. Shaw laughed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Good one. That was a good joke."

Soon they came across a small white house with gray shingle roofing that looked like it was in need of repairs. Amara frowned.

"You know, you should get that taken care of before winter hits," she said as she pointed at the house.

"Oh, yeah, I should," Mr. Shaw agreed.

They walked around the side to Mr. Shaw's car, a green, older model of a Honda Accord. They got in and Mr. Shaw turned on the car. As they drove out, Amara buckled her seat belt and faced him.

"Are you going to tell the Alpha about this?"

"You mean your father?" Mr. Shaw corrected.

"He's not actually my father."

"Oh?" he asked as they pulled out of the driveway. "Where are your parents?"

Amara looked down at her knees. "They um...they died." She looked at him and he had a frown. "Nobody told you?"

He shook his head while pulling onto the dirt road. "All I was told was that I had a black wolf named Amara in my math class."

Amara sighed. "The Red Blood Pack isn't my original pack. Rogues came and killed my old pack, the Pale Moon Pack, five years ago. I was the only survivor."

Mr. Shaw looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry to hear that, Amara."

Amara nodded and looked out the window, wanting to change the subject. "So you must've moved here recently?"

"Yes, just a few days ago, actually. I was going to apply for a math teacher position at the elementary school but then I was told that the high school needed a new math teacher right away so I jumped at the chance."

"I see. That's...pretty brave of you to teach high school kids, considering you're...how old are you?"

Mr. Shaw grinned, turning onto the main road. "Twenty two. Fresh out of college."

"So this is your first teaching job?"

"Yes."

"Wow. You really are brave."

Mr. Shaw laughed. "I suppose I am. But I think you're braver than I am, taking on all those wolves by yourself."

Amara giggled lightly. "Well, I would've been dead if it hadn't been for you."

"Oh, I doubt that. You're a strong fighter from what I was able to make out. Was your father an Alpha?"

"Yes he was. Was yours?"

"Yes, my father was an Alpha."

"I see. So, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How does a guy from Scotland end up in the middle of nowhere in the states?"

Amara saw Mr. Shaw's knuckles tighten around the steering wheel. "Well, that's actually...a wee bit complicated."

Amara frowned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"No, it's okay. It's just a sore subject with me."

Amara nodded and looked out the window. "You gotta take a left down here," she said.

Mr. Shaw took a left. "So, your favorite band is Metallica?"

"Oh yes. I love Lars the most."

"The drummer, huh?"

Amara's jaw dropped. "You know who Lars is?"

Mr. Shaw smirked at her. "Oh yeah. Gotta say I'm a Metallica fan myself."

"Oh yay! A kindred spirit!"

Mr. Shaw laughed loudly and continued driving. "Yes, I suppose we are in that aspect."

Amara grinned and looked out the window. "Okay, you need to take a right here."

Mr. Shaw turned right and soon they were driving down a cul-de-sac. The packhouse was off to the left while the Alpha's house was smack dab in the middle.

"Okay, just park in the driveway of that big house there."

Mr. Shaw looked at the mansion in awe. "Oh wow. That's a pretty big house."

Mr. Shaw parked and both of them got out of the car. Amara walked in front of him up to the house and opened the front door, then she turned around and frowned at Mr. Shaw.

"Are you sure you want to tell Gabriel about what happened? It really isn't necessary."

Mr. Shaw crossed his arms. "Yes, I'm sure. Does he not know about the other times you were attacked?"

Amara lowered her head. "No."

"And why is that?"

"I didn't want to worry him."

"Well, I think he should know."

Amara sighed and opened the door further. "Alright," she sighed. "He was bound to find out sooner or later, I guess."

Amara led him into the house and he whistled as he put his hands in his pockets. "Man, this place is nice."

"Thanks," Amara said. "Gabriel?" she shouted. "I need to talk to you!"

A wooden door opened and Gabriel popped his head out of his study. "Hi, Amara. Oh, hello Mr. Shaw."

Amara blinked, not realizing the two knew each other. Gabriel walked over and shook the man's hand.

"What brings you here, Mr. Shaw?" Gabriel asked curiously.

Amara bowed her head and looked off to the side. "Well, I had to drive Amara home after she was attacked by some wolves."

"What?" Gabriel grabbed Amara by the shoulders, checking her over. "Are you alright, Little One?"

Amara blushed at being called that in front of her teacher. "Gabriel..." she groaned. "I'm fine, it was no big deal."

Mr. Shaw frowned. "Amara, you were attacked by eleven wolves. That's a very big deal."

Gabriel looked at Mr. Shaw angrily. "Eleven wolves?!"

"Yes, and this apparently is not the first time it's happened."

Gabriel looked at Amara with surprise. "Amara?"

Amara sighed. "I may have...gotten attacked by bullies while in wolf form...once or twice before."

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry, and it's not like you can stop every single one of my bullies anyway," she said with a frown. "For the most part, I handled it on my own."

"For the most part?!"

Mr. Shaw cleared his throat. "Well, today was a bit different, Alpha Forrester. The wolves that attacked her weren't normal bullies. They were full sized adults."

"Rogues?"

"Not that I could smell, no. But still, it was concerning."

Gabriel held Amara's shoulders. "How did you manage to take on eleven full grown wolves on your own?"

"I..." Amara bit her lip. "I didn't. Mr. Shaw saved me."

Gabriel frowned and pulled her to his chest, kissing the top of her head. "Oh, Little One..."

Amara blushed again but buried her face into his chest to hide her embarassment from Mr. Shaw.

"Thank you, Mr. Shaw. I can never repay the debt," Gabriel croaked out.

"No need. I couldn't very well let my favorite student get bullied, could I?"

Amara faced Mr. Shaw. "Your favorite?" she asked, raising a brow. "You just started today and you already picked out a favorite?"

Mr. Shaw chuckled. "Well, we're both Metallica fans, so yes. I did."

He winked at her and Amara couldn't help but smile at him. Gabriel let go of her and stroked her hair. "Well, Mr. Shaw, I thank you again for coming to Amara's aid."

"My pleasure, Alpha Forrester," he said with a head bow.

Sonya came walking out of the kitchen and smiled. "Oh, hello there. Gabriel, I didn't know we had a guest."

Gabriel chuckled. "I'm sorry, my dear. Mr. Shaw, this is my wife and Luna, Sonya. Sonya, this is Mr. Shaw. He's the new math teacher at Amara's and Janine's school."

"Luna," Mr. Shaw said with a bowing of his head.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Shaw," Sonya said with a smile.

"Amara here had a run in with some unknown wolves and Mr. Shaw here helped her out," Gabriel said with a tight face.

Sonya gasped. "Oh, Goddess. Amara, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Amara replied, urging herself not to roll her eyes.

Gabriel's eyes glazed over for a moment. Amara knew he he was using the mind link of the pack. Most likely to summon Leo, his Beta.

"Well, Mr. Shaw. You must stay for dinner. It's the least we can do for you saving our Little One."

Now Amara did do an eye roll. "Sonya," she groaned.

"Yes, you should join us for dinner, Mr. Shaw. I insist," Gabriel agreed.

Mr. Shaw smiled. "Of course, I'd be delighted."

"Great! I'll have another spot set up at the table," Sonya exclaimed.

Amara bit her lip as she looked at Mr. Shaw. Sonya wandered back into the kitchen while Gabriel excused himself and went to his study. This left the two of them alone together and Amara cleared her throat.

"...Would you like a tour?" she asked awkwardly.

"Sure," Mr. Shaw replied.

The two walked together through the house and Amara showed him the kitchen, the dining room, the tv room, the sitting room, and the indoor pool, along with a few other rooms. All of this was on the first floor. They then went down to the basement where the training gym was and Mr. Shaw was impressed by the size of it. Amara showed him a few other rooms in the basement before heading up to the second floor. She pointed out where the bathrooms were, a few other rooms, and finally the bedrooms.

"Down that way is Gabriel and Sonya's room, then there's Benjamin's, the future Alpha. Then there's Janine's room, a few more guest rooms around, and..." she pointed to a door in front of them, "this is my room."

Mr. Shaw smirked and looked around at the hallway. "You really do have a lovely home, Amara."

Amara thanked him and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She was contemplating on showing him her room but she wasn't sure that would be appropriate. Would he even want to? Just as she was about to turn away, he spoke and it made her pause.

"You're not gonna show me your room?" he asked.

Amara turned back around and smiled. "Sure. It's not much to look at, but..." she grabbed the door knob and turned it, pushing the door open.

Inside was a blue themed room with various metal band posters on the walls, most of them being of Metallica. Amara and Mr. Shaw walked in and he twirled around slowly to take in the room.

"Wow. This is a pretty big bedroom," he said in awe.

"Yeah, well...this was originally a guest room until I moved in, so the other bedrooms are a lot bigger."

"Hmm." He walked over to her dresser and chuckled at the Metallica bobbleheads. "You weren't kidding when you said you were a fan."

"Yeah, I really wasn't," Amara said shyly. "So, this is my room, so..."

"Amara?" she heard Janine from the other side of the door along with a knock before the door opened. "Have you seen my...oh, uh, hi Mr. Shaw," Janine said with a confused look.

Mr. Shaw smiled at her. "Ah, Janine. Hello."

"Amara, what's a high school teacher doing in your room?" Janine asked, her eyebrows wiggling. "So scandalous."

Amara's cheeks turned bright red. "Janine! I was...just giving him a tour of the house."

Mr. Shaw's cheeks were also aflame and he chuckled nervously. "Yes, ahem. Just a tour."

Janine smirked at Amara. "Well, why is he even here at the house?"

"I'll explain later!" Amara said before shoving Janine out the door and slamming the door shut. She huffed and leaned her back against the door. "I am _so sorry_ about that."

"Oh, it's alright," Mr. Shaw chuckled. "I suppose being in a student's bedroom is a little unorthodox."

Amara cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Well, we better go back downstairs before Janine alerts the whole friggin' household."

"Right," Mr. Shaw said with a laugh.

They both left the room and Amara walked right into Benjamin.

And he did not look happy.

 _"Oh crap..."_ she thought.


	5. Supper

_"Oh crap."_

Benjamin's eyes were narrowed and his eyes were black. His nostrils were flaring and his mouth was formed in an angry snarl.

"Who the hell is this?" Benjamin hissed.

Amara gulped and took a step back. She'd never seen Benjamin like this before and quite frankly, it scared her. Still, she regained her confidence and stared Benjamin down.

"This is my math teacher, Mr. Shaw," Amara said. "Now, before you jump to conclusions, I-"

Benjamin grabbed Amara by the arm and dragged her towards his bedroom. However, Mr. Shaw intervened and pulled Amara out of Benjamin's grasp, standing in front of her to protect her.

"What gives you the right to touch her like that?!" Mr. Shaw shouted.

Amara's eyes widened at the sudden display of testosterone. She never expected her math teacher to ever get angry like that. It was _hot._

"Why is it any of your business?!" Benjamin yelled in Mr. Shaw's face.

"I'm making it my business!"

The two glared at each other, both standing at the same height. Were these two seriously fighting over her?

 _"Yes, they are,"_ Dakota said. _"It's kinda sexy, actually."_

 _"Oh Goddess, don't I know it..."_ Amara said in her mind.

"Hey! What's going on here?" Gabriel asked as he climbed up the stairs.

Amara sighed. "I was giving Mr. Shaw a tour of the house and Benjamin decided to _grab me_ and try to drag me to his bedroom! Apparently, Mr. Shaw didn't like seeing me man handled like that," she explained.

Gabriel arched a brow and crossed his arms. "Why were you giving him a tour up here?"

"I was showing him my bedroom."

Gabriel laughed as the two males continued their growling contest and were circling around each other. "Yeah, that'll do it."

Amara rolled her eyes and threw up her hands. "Can you make them stop?"

"Naw, I wanna see how this plays out," Gabriel joked.

Amara giggled and smacked him lightly on the chest. Gabriel chuckled and nodded before walking over to the two males.

"Hey!" Gabriel barked, getting their undivided attention. "Just what the hell are you two doing?!"

"Amara had this guy in her bedroom!" Benjamin complained loudly.

"She was giving me a tour of the house," Mr. Shaw explained. "Then your son grabbed her a bit too aggressively for my liking."

Gabriel eyed Benjamin. "Gabriel, why did you grab Amara?"

"I was going to take her to my bedroom and yell at her!" Benjamin snarled.

"Why?"

Benjamin looked taken aback. "Because...she shouldn't have strange men in her room!"

Gabriel barked with laughter. "Benjamin, Amara is old enough to make her own decisions. If she wants to bring some strange guy into her room, then she's welcome to. Besides, don't think I haven't noticed all the girls you bring to your room at night."

Benjamin's face went pale. "But Dad, I-"

"And why does it bother you? You two have hated each other ever since you met! And you should have a bit more respect for the guy who saved her life this afternoon."

Benjamin blinked. "What do you mean?"

"She was attacked by unknown wolves, Benjamin."

Benjamin looked past his father at Amara, looking guilty. "Were you hurt?"

Amara scoffed, walked to Mr. Shaw and grabbed his hand before leading him to the staircase. "C'mon, I'll give you a tour of the backyard."

It didn't go unnoticed by Amara that Mr. Shaw gave Benjamin a smug look before they descended the stairs. It made Amara smirk a little.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Mr. Shaw asked.

"Oh hell no," Amara said with a laugh. "I would never date Benjamin."

"What if he ends up being your mate?"

Amara gave him an incredulous look. "Ugh, don't make me vomit."

Mr. Shaw cackled and shook his head. "Sorry," he chuckled.

Amara was still holding his hand when she led him to the backyard. Mr. Shaw whistled when he saw the maze garden.

"You have a maze?" he asked.

"Yeah," Amara said with a smirk. "Wanna go check it out?"

"Sure," he said with a beaming smile. "Will I get lost, though?"

Amara shrugged. "Maybe. But that's the fun of it!"

She giggled and went running to the maze, gesturing for him to follow. He jogged after her and she went running faster as she got to the entrance. She made turns of lefts and rights, laughing along the way.

"Hey, wait up!" Mr. Shaw yelled enthusiastically.

"Nope! You gotta catch me!" Amara laughed.

Eventually Amara made it to the middle of the maze and sat down on edge of the wolf fountain that sat in the very center of the maze. After a while, Mr. Shaw's head popped into view and he smiled at her.

"Found you."

Amara pouted and crossed her arms. "You followed my scent, that's cheating."

Mr. Shaw laughed loudly and went to sit down next to her. "You didn't give me the rules, so how was I to know?"

"This is true." They both looked up at the overcast sky and Amara grinned. "I like fall, don't you?"

"Sure," he said with a shrug. "I like summer better."

"Why's that?"

"I don't know. I guess because I like hot, summer days." The two sat in a comfortable silence for a while until Mr. Shaw broke it. "Do you and Benjamin really hate each other?"

"Well, yeah. Well...apparently he decided a couple weeks ago that he doesn't so he wanted to call a truce yesterday."

"Huh. Interesting. Did he say why?"

"Not really, no."

"I think he might like you. Maybe you should give him a chance."

Amara gaped at Mr. Shaw. "Are you serious?"

Mr. Shaw laughed as he looked at her. "No. I don't like the way he treated you up there."

Amara smiled. "Thanks for defending me, by the way."

"You're welcome." They smiled at each other for a few moments before Mr. Shaw broke his gaze and cleared his throat. "We should head back."

"Yeah, I suppose we should."

Mr. Shaw stood up and held out his hand. Amara took it and got up, then they let go and started walking through the maze together. He put his hands in his coat pockets and eyed her.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, who else thinks you're a curse?"

Amara squinted her emerald eyes at him. "Why do you ask?"

"So I know which kids to give a hard time to."

Amara giggled and brushed a strand of black hair behind her ear. "You don't have to do that."

"Well, I don't have to but I want to."

Amara gazed at him and paused. "You really don't need to be so protective of me, Mr. Shaw. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself."

"Oh, of that, I am quite sure you are. But..." he also paused and turned to look at her. "If it's one thing I don't tolerate, it's bullying. And, well...I have a weak spot for girls who get bullied," he said with a wink.

Amara felt her cheeks blush and she giggled. "So you have a weak spot for me?"

Mr. Shaw's eyes widened for a moment before he smiled. "I suppose I do."

"Hmm." She walked up to him and smirked. "I'm going to take advantage of that, I bet," she said before walking past him.

They walked side by side until they got to the entrance of the maze. Luckily, dinner was ready by the time they got back to the house. They went into the house and took off their coats before sitting down at the table with the rest of the family. Benjamin still didn't look happy, especially when Amara decided to sit next to Mr. Shaw. They all started filling their plates and began to dig in when Sonya stopped them.

"Ah ah, you know the rules. Everybody say grace," Sonya chastised gently. "Amara, it's your turn tonight."

Amara groaned and everyone folded their hands together. "Moon Goddess, thank you for the blessing of this family and this food," Amara said with her head bowed.

"Excellent. Now we can eat."

Everyone started eating and Amara, of course, was chowing down faster than the rest of them.

"Amara, must you eat so quickly?" Gabriel asked with a laugh. "One of these days you're going to choke."

Amara sighed and slowed down with her eating. Janine smirked and swallowed some milk.

"So, Mr. Shaw, what's it like in Scotland? I've always wanted to go there," Janine said.

"Oh, it's um...rainy and green," Mr. Shaw replied casually. "It's very beautiful over there."

"So I've seen from the internet."

"Oh, pictures don't do Scotland justice."

"I bet."

The family and Mr. Shaw continued eating but Amara noticed Benjamin giving Mr. Shaw death glares from time to time. It made her pissed off.

 _"What is his problem?"_ Dakota asked.

 _"I don't know,"_ Amara replied to Dakota.

_"Ask him."_

Amara cleared her throat and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Benjamin?"

"Yeah?" Benjamin growled.

"Is there a reason why you keep glaring at my math teacher?" Amara snarled.

Everyone stopped eating with wide eyes and looked between the two wolves. Benjamin wiped his mouth and smirked.

"You two are gettin' kinda cheeky together, aren't you? Isn't that a little inappropriate for a teacher and a student?"

"Benjamin!" Sonya hissed.

"We're not getting cheeky, Benjamin. He just doesn't tolerate bullying," Amara explained with venom in her voice.

"Uh huh. Is that why he was chasing you in the maze?"

Amara cocked her head, wondering what Benjamin was doing. "Oh, I'm sorry. Are we not allowed to run through the maze?"

"Did you kiss him?"

"Benjamin!" Gabriel growled.

Amara stood up and slammed her hands on the table. "Benjamin, he is my school teacher! There is no snowball's chance in hell that I would ever kiss him!"

 _"You are such a liar!"_ Dakota laughed in her head.

 _"Shut up, Dakota!"_ Amara snarled at Dakota.

"Now stop being such a jerk and let's eat! The sooner we eat, the sooner you can stop embarassing me in front of Mr. Shaw!" Amara yelled. She plopped down in her chair, huffed and went back to eating. Or tried to, at least. She suddenly lost her appetite. "May I please be excused?" she asked.

"You may," Gabriel replied with a low, inaudible chuckle.

Amara grabbed her plate, utensils and glass, walked to the kitchen sink while glaring at Benjamin, shoved them into the sink then left the dining room, not once taking her eyes off Benjamin. Amara left the area and went straight up the stairs to her bedroom.

* * *

"Well that was fun," Janine said sarcastically.

Mr. Shaw had his brow furrowed the whole time that Amara left and Gabriel had noticed that. He'd noticed a lot of things about the man, like the fact that his eyes had been practically glued to Amara like a fly on shit ever since he walked through their front door. Did this young man have feelings for his Little One? It was hard to say. Was he unsettled by it? A little. He didn't know Mr. Shaw very well but he had a good background check and nothing bad was on his record from Scotland. He knew the circumstances of the man's departure from his homeland, which was an unfortunate and sad reason, but these things happen from time to time.

Still, Gabriel was unsure what kind of man Mr. Shaw was and that made him feel a bit defensive.

As for Benjamin, that was another male Gabriel needed to worry about chasing after Amara. Benjamin had confided in his father about what he'd been feeling for Amara lately and Gabriel wondered if they were possible mates based on the information that was given. Amara's eighteenth birthday was due that weekend so naturally her scent would be shifting into something else soon. Perhaps maybe even a little before her time was up. Which was odd. Maybe being a black wolf had something to do with that.

"Alpha Forrester, Luna, it appears that I should perhaps take my leave," Mr. Shaw said with a frown.

Benjamin smirked and Gabriel sighed. "I was hoping to talk to you in my study before you go. About those wolves attacking Amara, I mean."

Benjamin's smirk dropped and Mr. Shaw made a small grin. "Yes, that should be discussed, I think."

The two men excused themselves from the table and went walking into the foyer towards the study. Gabriel clasped his hands behind his back as they walked. They had quite a few things to discuss, and not just about some wolves attacking Amara.

* * *

There was a knock on Amara's door and she sighed. "Benjamin, if that's you, then go away!"

"Amara, I'm sorry," he said through the door. "Let me in, please."

"Not a chance in hell!"

"Please. I need to talk to you. It's important."

Amara's curiousity picked up and she sighed before walking to the door and opening it. Benjamin was standing there with pancakes soaked in maple syrup on a plate.

"I made you dessert," he said with a smile.

Amara crossed her arms and scoffed. "You think my most favorite thing is going to help you right now?"

"...Um, yes?"

Amara let a small smirk show on her face before grabbing the plate. "You're lucky, you know that?"

Benjamin laughed softly. "Yes."

Amara brought the plate to her desk, sat down and dug in. Her appetite was definitely back despite dinner being a total debaucle. As she chewed, Benjamin sat on the bed and sighed.

"What is it, Benjamin? What's so important?"

He clapped his hands together, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "I need to say why my feelings towards you have changed."

Amara nodded as she took another bite. "Okay? Go ahead."

"...I think you're my mate."

Amara nearly choked on her food. "W-What?"

Benjamin sighed. "One morning, a couple weeks ago, we were in the kitchen together and I caught this whiff of...something amazing. On you. I think it's your mate scent and it was driving my wolf crazy."

Amara cleared her throat and put the fork down. "Alright, alright, let me get this straight. You're being nice to me now because you and Jackson think I smell good?!"

"Well, when you put it that way..." Benjamin said sheepishly.

"Oh for crying out loud..."

"Amara, please," Benjamin said as he stood up. "This could be a good thing."

"A good thing? How?! I don't even like you!"

Benjamin frowned and lowered his gaze. "Oh."

Amara sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Alright, look. If we end up being mates, then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. But for now, just...act like we're not mates."

"But I can't do that," Benjamin sighed, walking to her as she got up. "I...I can't stop thinking about you."

"Oh really?" she asked. "Is that why you had a date recently? You've still been bringing girls into your room, I know that much!"

"Because I was trying to forget you, but...I couldn't...I..."

"You couldn't what?"

Benjamin's cheeks turned red. "I couldn't... _perform."_

Amara's eyes went wide. "...Oh."

Well, that was interesting.

Benjamin grabbed her hand gently and sighed. "Let me take you out tomorrow night."

"What?" Amara gaped at him. "Seriously?"

"Yeah."

Amara laughed a little and pulled her hand back. "No way!"

"Oh come on! Please?"

Amara scoffed. "No!"

"Just one date, it won't kill you!"

Amara sighed. "Fine. One date."

Benjamin smiled and kissed her cheek which sent butterflies all over Amara's stomach. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow," he said before walking to the door.

As he left, Amara grasped her cheek and blinked. "Did I really just agree to that?"


	6. The Library

"No..." Amara mumbled in her sleep. "No, don't...Mom...Dad..."

She started turning and twisting in her sleep, sweat accumulating on her body. She was having another nightmare.

_Red, burning eyes chases her through a field of fire. Amara, as a young girl, runs and screams out for her parents. Werewolves are dying all around her, their screams echoing in her ears. A wall of fire comes up and blocks her way. She stops and looks around for an escape route but she finds none. A growl emits behind her and she turns slowly as she watches a big wolf with red eyes slaughter her mother._

_"No!" she screams, reaching out to her mother. "You're killing her! Stop it!"_

_Tears run down her cheeks as blood oozes onto the field from her mother's dead body. Amara runs to the body and shakes her mother._

_"Momma, wake up! Please don't be dead!"_

_Her mother's arm grabs her and Amara looks to see burning, red eyes looking back at her._

_"This is all your fault!" her mother shrieks._

_"No!" Amara screams. "No, I didn't do this! It's not my fault!"_

_"Amara, wake up, Little One..." she hears Gabriel say._

Amara sat up in bed, gasping for air. She looked to see Gabriel, Sonya, Janine and Benjamin all looking at her.

"Amara, you're okay," Gabriel said, rubbing Amara's shoulder. "It was just a nightmare."

Amara began to sob and buried her face in her hands. "It's all my fault," she cried.

Gabriel wrapped his arms around Amara and held her close. "Now you stop that. It was not your fault, I promise."

Amara rested her forehead on Gabriel's chest while the other three family members sat with her on the bed.

"Amara, don't blame yourself," Sonya said, patting Amara's shoulder. "There was nothing you could do."

Amara sniffled. "I-If I didn't have a...have a black wolf, it-it wouldn't have ha-happened," Amara stuttered through her blubbering.

Sonya awed and kissed Amara's head. "That's not true."

Amara continued to sob into Gabriel's chest as he rocked her. "You're okay, now. You're okay," he cooed.

"Would you like some hot cocoa?" Janine asked.

Amara wiped her nose. "Uh huh."

Janine and Sonya left to go make Amara some hot cocoa while Benjamin and Gabriel stayed behind to comfort her. Amara was starting to calm down but she started hiccuping from her crying. She knew she was going to have a hard time going back to sleep. She always did when she had her nightmares.

* * *

It was the next morning and Amara was super groggy. She made Janine stop for some Starbucks so she could get a white chocolate mocha coffee. When they got to school, Janine made sure Amara was okay before going to see her boyfriend Logan. Amara went straight to math class.

She sat down without saying much to Mr. Shaw and sighed before taking a drink of her coffee. Mr. Shaw frowned at her.

"Are you okay? You're lookin' a bit peely wally," he said.

"What?"

"Sorry. Scottish phrase. You look ill."

"I'm fine, just...had a hard time sleeping last night," Amara replied, taking another drink of coffee.

"Was it because of yesterday?"

Amara shook her head. "No. I..." she stopped herself and averted her gaze to the floor.

"What's wrong?" Mr. Shaw asked, getting up from his desk and walking to her. He sat on the table of the desk in front of her, his brow furrowed. "Amara, you can talk to me."

Amara looked at him briefly with a sad look in her eyes. "...This past weekend was the anniversary of my old pack's death. So...I was always have nightmares this time of year."

Mr. Shaw's frown deepened. "I'm sorry."

"...I saw my mother get murdered," she said, tears filling her eyes. "And my father...he...he told me to run and not look back. But I did look back and...and..."

Amara suddenly burst into tears. Mr. Shaw got up and pulled Amara up into his arms, holding her close to his chest. She dug her face into it and cried. She wasn't one to allow herself to be so emotional at school, but for some reason, she felt she could be vulnerable in front of Mr. Shaw. It was comforting.

"I don't understand why they had to die, Mr. Shaw. I don't understand why I got to live."

Mr. Shaw stroked her black hair and sighed. "Sometimes bad things happen. There's no reason for it, no explanation that can make up for it. It just happens."

"It's not fair."

"I know, Amara, I know," he cooed.

Amara sniffed, pulled away and wiped her eyes. "I got your shirt all wet."

Mr. Shaw chuckled. "That's alright. It'll dry, lass."

Amara nodded and continued to rub her eyes. "I'm sorry for crying."

Mr. Shaw grasped her cheeks and forced her to look up at him. "It's alright to cry. Sometimes you just gotta let it out."

Amara nodded as she looked up at him, smiling sadly. "I guess so."

Mr. Shaw gazed into her eyes with his icy blues and smiled back. "Cheer up now, okay? You're far too bonnie to be so sad."

Amara blushed and giggled, knowing exactly what "bonnie" meant. "Such things you say..."

Mr. Shaw stroked her cheek with his thumb, still staring down into her eyes. Her eyes flicked to his lips for a moment before looking back up at his eyes. Oh, how much she could get lost in those eyes of his.

Suddenly the door opened and Mr. Shaw backed away, aheming himself. Kids started walking in and he stared at Amara with wide eyes. "Right, well," he ahemed once more. "Back to it."

Amara frowned while he turned away and got back to his desk. She sat back down and took another drink of coffee. Suddenly she noticed some of the boys sniffing the air and looking at her strangely. Kevin Lang, in particular. He got closer to her and took another sniff.

"Hey, did you change perfumes or something?" he asked.

Amara scowled at him. "Go away, Kevin."

"No, I'm serious, Cursed. Did-"

"Kevin Lang!" Mr. Shaw snapped. "I will not tolerate that word in my class, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Mr. Shaw," Kevin said with a mocking voice.

"Good. Now take your seat, please. Class is about to start."

As Kevin walked over to his seat, the bell rang and Mr. Shaw started the lesson.

By the end of class, Amara quickly ducked out to avoid the unmated males sniffing her out.

 _"What the hell is going on?"_ she asked herself.

 _"I think it's our scent, Amara. Benjamin said something about it yesterday, so..."_ Dakota paused.

_"You might be right. I think we should go to the library at lunch to find some information about this."_

As Amara hurried to her history class, she bumped into some boys who were sniffing her.

"Hey, Cursed. What's your hurry?" one of them said.

Amara scoffed in disgust and brushed past them to her history class. She saw Janine was already in there so she quickly sat down next to her with a huff.

"You okay?" Janine asked.

"Yeah. Just...some of the guys are acting funny around me," Amara replied.

"What do you mean?" Janine asked with a scrunched up face.

"The boys have been sniffing me. Kevin Lang asked me if I changed perfumes and Benjamin told me last night that my scent has changed."

Janine laughed. "Is that why he's been practically drooling for you?"

Amara smirked. "Shut up."

The bell rang and everyone got to their seats. The history teacher, Mr. Pyke, started the lesson about the werewolves in the Civil War. During class, Amara noticed that she wasn't being sniffed at anymore. That was a relief.

By the end of class, Mr. Pyke reminded everyone to work on their essays about the Civil War and that they were due by Monday next week. Janine and Amara exited the class and headed over to gym. They went to the girls locker room and started changing into their gym uniforms when Amara started overhearing some girls talking about her.

"Did you hear about some of the boys chasing after Amara Jenson's tail today?" one of the girls said.

"Ugh, who would want Cursed? I feel bad for whoever becomes her mate," another girl said.

"Brittany, shame of you. She's not cursed, she's a gift from the Moon Goddess."

"No she's not!" a girl laughed.

Amara bowed her head and sighed, continuing to get dressed. The comments were easy to ignore until they started revolving around her old pack.

"I feel so bad for her, watching her whole pack die."

"Yeah, well, if she wasn't a black wolf, none of it would have happened. That's what Mrs. Johnson said."

"I heard that's why she got fired. She said that to Cursed and she got dear old Alpha to come swoop in to get Mrs. Johnson fired."

"Good. Mrs. Johnson was a bitch. Besides, now we got a hot math teacher now."

"Mr. Shaw is so dreamy. And that Scottish accent..."

At the mention of the girls swooning over Mr. Shaw, Amara felt her hands tighten into fists. The more they talked, the more she wanted to punch them all in the face.

"I should ask Mr. Shaw to tutor me. I have such a hard time with math, maybe he and I can get closer and...you know..." a girl giggled.

Amara let a low growl erupt from her throat. Now she really wanted to kill someone. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and she swiftly turned to glare at Janine.

"What?!" she snapped.

Janine pulled her hand back and blinked. "Sorry. It's just...you're letting your wolf come out."

Amara looked at herself in her locker mirror and saw her eyes were black. She blinked, shook her head and looked again, her eyes now back to their normal emerald color. She sighed and glanced at Janine.

"Sorry...just those girls talking about me riled me up, you know?"

Janine smirked. "That's not what did it and you know it."

"What do you mean?"

"You got a crush on Mr. Shaw, don't you?"

"What? No!" Amara almost shrieked. "He's a teacher, for crying out loud!"

The girls left the locker room and Amara adjusted her gym shorts. Janine nudged Amara gently in the ribs.

"Oh c'mon, you can tell me."

"I don't have a crush on him. Besides, I have a date tonight."

"What? With who?!"

"Benjamin," Amara said with a blush as they walked over to the gym stands.

"No!" Janine gasped. "You and Benny Ben Benny?"

Amara laughed loudly. "Yeah. He said one date wouldn't kill me, so I agreed."

They both sat down and Janine's mouth was agape. "I don't believe it!"

"Oh, believe it, sister!"

They both giggled and chatted away until class started. Today they were playing basketball. Amara wasn't that bad of a player and multiple times she'd considered getting on the school team but kids always said they'd never win if she was on the team, what from being cursed and all. Still, she thought about it. And the teacher always asked if she wanted to join.

Today, Amara was playing as a forward and she was being guarded by Rebecca Princeton, a snot nosed cheerleader who sucked at basketball. Janine dribbled down the court and was immediately hassled by another player. Amara swooped by Rebecca and Janine tossed her the ball. Amara caught it, dribbled, did a lay up to the basket and made the shot. There was a swishing of the net as the ball made it in.

"Good job, Amara!" the coach clapped. "You too, Janine. Good team work!"

The game continued on and soon class was over. Amara and Janine's team won by twelve points. The girls went to the locker room, took their showers and dressed in their school clothes. Now it was time for lunch. As Amara headed towards the library, Janine stopped her.

"Where are you going?" Janine asked.

"I need to check something out in the library. I'll see you in science class, okay?" Amara assured.

"Alright, see ya," Janine replied with a shrug.

Amara made her way into the library to the computer station to look up any books that had "black wolf" as a reference. Surprisingly, she found two books. Amara went to the mythology section and grabbed them, then went to a table, opened the books and got out her lunch. She started munching on her salami and mustard sandwich as she browsed through one of the books.

"Hmm...black wolf, black wolf," she uttered as her finger trailed down the index. "Ah, here we go. Page seventy one."

Amara flipped through the pages and got to page seventy one. She didn't find much to tell her about a black wolf's scent. She closed the book and opened the other one, finding what she needed on page sixty three.

_"The black wolf is truly an enigma of its kind. There are conflicting opinions on whether having a black wolf in a pack is a blessing or a curse. More often than not, black wolves are cast out to live their lives as rogues._

_One of the main reasons for this is because of their scent. It is said that just before coming-of-age, a black wolf's scent will trigger an arousal response from unmated wolves. It will be inconsistent until the wolf turns eighteen. By that time, every unmated wolf will flock to him or her and want to mate_ _as if in a trance."_

"Oh great," Amara said. "Just great."

She continued on.

_"This causes a great disturbance in the pack but the facts of this are inconclusive seeing as how rare black wolves are. To common knowledge, there have only been ten black wolves in the history of werewolf kind, once having been revered as fertility gods or goddesses back in ancient times."_

"Oh geez."

"Whatcha reading?"

Amara slammed the book shut and looked up in shock to see Mr. Shaw. "Mr. Shaw. Hi."

Mr. Shaw chuckled quietly. "Sorry, did I scare you?"

"No. You just snuck up on me, is all," she said.

"Hmm. Mind if I join you for lunch?" he asked, holding up a paper bag.

"No, not at all."

Mr. Shaw sat down next to her and opened his bag, pulling out a sandwich and a few other items. He glanced at the closed book and blinked.

"Wolf Mythology?" he asked. "Is that for an assignment?"

"Um, no, not really," Amara said, blushing before digging into her sandwich some more.

"Well, what's it for?"

Amara sighed and opened the book to the page she was reading then pointed to the paragraph she had read. Mr. Shaw leaned over to glance at it and Amara caught a whiff of his scent.

 _"Damn, he smells good,"_ she thought.

Mr. Shaw blinked while he read then he looked at Amara. "Well, that explains a lot," he said.

"Explains what?" she asked.

"Why you smell so...so...delicious," he said, his cheeks flashing red.

Amara gaped at him. "You think I smell delicious?"

His eyes went wide. "No. I mean yes. I mean, not all the time."

Amara giggled at him. "Not all the time?"

"Sometimes you smell normal, but...yes, sometimes you smell amazing." He cleared his throat. "What made you look this up?"

"Oh. Um...well, Benjamin mentioned that he thinks we're mates because I smell good and it drives his wolf nuts, then I noticed some of the boys around here sniffing at me and stuff."

"Oh," Mr. Shaw replied. "Well, do you want Benjamin to be your mate?"

Amara rolled her eyes as she continued eating. "No. In fact I really don't want to find my mate. Ever."

A surprised look appeared on Mr. Shaw's face. "Why not?"

"I dunno. The whole thing sounds so limiting, you know? Like you're destined for one person for the rest of your life? I'd much rather have someone love me for me than because of some stupid bond."

Mr. Shaw blinked at her. "You're a very abnormal individual, Miss Jenson."

Amara chuckled bitterly. "Yeah, don't I know it..."

"That's not a bad thing. I'm sure any guy would be lucky to have you, mate or no mate."

Amara looked at him strangely. "You think so?"

Mr. Shaw leaned in a little closer with a smile. "I know so," he whispered.

Amara bit her lip. "Well, I...thank you."

The bell rang and Amara blinked out of whatever trance she was in. "Crap," she said. "I barely finished my lunch."

"Well, I didn't even touch mine," Mr. Shaw laughed.

"Well we better hurry up and eat," she said before chowing down on her food.


	7. Hot Topic

Amara left the library, book in hand, with Mr. Shaw and waved goodbye to him as they both headed off in different directions. As she walked, she contemplated all that Mr. Shaw had said to her, especially about her smelling delicious. The very thought sent tingles through her spine and made her cheeks flush. Why would a teacher say that she smells delicious? Why would a teacher call her bonnie?

Was Mr. Shaw _attracted to her?_

 _"I think he is,"_ Dakota said.

 _"No. He can't be. I mean, I'm a student and he's a teacher_ _,"_ Amara said in her mind. _"That would be unethical."_

_"But he's not much older than you! He's twenty two!"_

_"And I'm still a minor!"_

_"Not after this weekend."_

Amara groaned internally as she went into her science class.

The rest of the school day went by smoothly and afterwards, Janine took Amara to work. Amara went into the mall and headed over to Hot Topic to start work. She clocked in and waved to her boss Jake.

"Hey, Amara," he said. "Long day at school? You look like crap."

Amara laughed as she started folding clothes in the back room. "Yeah, I feel like it, too."

"Well, I won't work you too hard today," he joked.

Amara giggled and continued folding clothes.

* * *

Mr. Shaw was sitting at his school desk correcting quizzes and homework assignments.

"Hmm...well, that's an "F" for Laura..." he mumbled to himself.

He wrote a big red F on her quiz and went to the next student's work. Paper after paper, he got into the zone and was basically on auto pilot until he got to Amara's quiz. He smiled to himself as he looked over her answers. Despite her lack of sleep last night, she managed to pass with flying colors. He wrote a red "A" on her paper, then he added, "Good job!" to it. Then he moved on to her homework assignment.

It left a little to be desired but she got a "B" on it. He stacked her papers away and went to the next student, but now he was distracted. He couldn't stop thinking about what occurred today with Amara Jenson. The way her eyes looked so sad when she was crying about her old pack broke Mr. Shaw's heart. He'd just wanted to hold her and never let go, the poor thing.

And the way she smelled...it was so intoxicating.

 _"_ _What if she's our mate?"_ his wolf asked.

 _"How do you figure_ _, Darragh?"_ Mr. Shaw asked his wolf.

_"Well, she smells good. The last time we found our mate, she smelled good too."_

Mr. Shaw shook his head. _"Yes, and our mate rejected us so please don't remind me of that."_

_"You don't want another mate?"_

_"I do, but I don't think Amara is our second chance mate. You read what was in that book. She's going to be attracting all those unmated males..."_

The very thought angered Mr. Shaw, especially when he thought about men and boys surrounding Amara. Trying to kiss her, touch her, mate with her...Mr. Shaw shook his head and sighed.

 _"You like her,"_ Darragh said.

 _"I'm only attracted to her because of her scent, nothing more,"_ Mr. Shaw said.

_"Well, I still think she might be our second mate."_

_"Well even if she is, we can't do anything about it. I'm her teacher. It would be highly unethical for me to pursue anything with Amara."_

Mr. Shaw groaned and rubbed his face vigorously to shake himself from his thoughts. That didn't do him much good.

While he was relieved that his attraction to Amara Jenson was basically a farce, it sure didn't feel like it. And he found himself being more attracted to her the more he thought about her. It was maddening.

 _"Maybe we should go buy her some anti-scent spray,"_ Darragh suggested.

 _"That's not a bad idea,"_ he thought.

He looked at his phone. He could grade the papers later. Mr. Shaw collected his belongings, put the papers in his satchel and made his way out of the classroom.

* * *

Benjamin was in the shower rinsing off soap from his body. He was very excited for his date with Amara tonight and so was his wolf Jackson.

 _"She could be our mate! I can't wait until she turns eighteen so we can know for sure!"_ Jackson howled.

 _"I know. But what if she rejects us?"_ Benjamin thought, bending his head down so the water could go down his neck and back.

_"We won't let that happen. Just treat her like a queen and she'll come around."_

_"Should I bring her flowers for our date?"_

_"Absolutely!"_ Jackson barked. _"Smart thinking!"_

Benjamin turned off the shower and decided to surprise Amara at work with a dozen roses. He got out of the shower and dried himself off, then he dressed in a light blue sweater and black jeans. As he was putting on his socks, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Benjamin called out.

Janine walked through the door and pouted at Benjamin with her hands on her hips. "How in the hell did you convince Amara to go on a date with you?"

Benjamin merely shrugged while putting on his other sock. "I dunno. I'm just as shocked as you are, if I'm being honest."

"Hmm. So where are you taking her?"

He scratched the back of his head and sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror. "I dunno, dinner, I guess? I'm gonna get her roses, too."

Benjamin walked out of the room but was followed by Janine. "Just dinner? That's so bland!"

"What? I'm taking her to Zuccaro's."

"Oooh, that's a good one. You know how much she loves that place."

Benjamin put on his shoes, grabbed his coat and put it on. "I do. Wish me luck."

"Good luck, Big Brother."

Benjamin gave her an award winning smile before walking to his red Dodge Charger. He got in and drove off.

* * *

Mr. Shaw was walking around the mall looking for a particular store. He needed to find some anti scent spray for Amara, but he had no idea where to look. He wasn't even sure why he cared or was interested.

 _"So you can stop smelling her,"_ Darragh said. _"You're afraid."_

 _"Of what?"_ Mr. Shaw thought.

_"Of her. Of how she makes you feel."_

_"Can you blame me, Darragh?"_

_"No, I suppose I can't. But think about what you're doing. What if she is our mate for real? You won't be able to know if you can't smell her."_

_"That's kind of the point,"_ Mr. Shaw said. _"She doesn't even want a mate anyway."_

_"You're afraid she'll reject you."_

Mr. Shaw frowned and sat on a bench. _"Okay. Fine. I am afraid. But being rejected worked out so well for us last time, didn't it?!"_ he yelled at Darragh.

_"Okay. You've made your point. Now grow some balls, be a wolf and accept the possibility that_ _Amara might be our mate. And when I turn out to be right, you better not screw this up."_

Mr. Shaw jerked his head down and chuckled. _"How do you know she might be our mate, huh? How do you know that her black wolf scent isn't messing with our senses?"_

_"Well, I suppose we better find out when she turns eighteen."_

Mr. Shaw nodded and looked around at the area, his eyes stopping on a store called Hot Topic. Perhaps that store had what he was looking for. He got up and walked to the entrance when an all too familiar scent hit him. And then he saw her in the back. Amara.

 _"She works here. Shit,"_ he thought.

Their eyes met and Amara gave him a small smile before waving at him shyly. He waved back hesitantly then huffed and walked into the store. Amara met up with him.

"Hey there, Mr. Shaw. What brings you to Hot Topic?" she asked.

"Well...um..." he chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "I was looking for some, uh, anti scent spray, actually."

Amara raised a brow. "Anti scent spray, huh? Well, I think we have some, actually. Is it for you?"

"Um, no. Actually, it was, uh...gonna be for you."

Both of Amara's eyebrows went up. "For me?"

"Yes. Because of, well, you know," he said sheepishly. "The thing in that book. What the book said. I thought it might be helpful for you once you turn eighteen."

Amara smiled sweetly. "That's...very thoughtful of you, Mr. Shaw. I appreciate that."

 _"I can smell her arousal, Rory. She wants you_ _,"_ Darragh observed. _"Just like we want her."_

 _"Shut up, Darragh!"_ Mr. Shaw spat in his mind.

"Well, I just figured...when are you turning eighteen, anyway?" Mr. Shaw asked.

"This Sunday, as a matter of fact," Amara replied.

 _"Now she won't be a minor. That's one less thing for you to worry about,"_ Darragh stated.

 _"I said shut up!"_ Mr. Shaw snarled.

"Oh. Well, then I suppose this could be a birthday gift for you," Mr. Shaw said with a smile.

"I suppose it could be." Amara bit her lip with another smile.

 _"You should buy her a second gift and not tell her about it,"_ Darragh suggested.

Amara looked at the clock on the wall and sighed. "Well, I get off work in ten minutes so we better find the stuff so I can ring you up."

Amara directed Mr. Shaw to a shelf in the back and she started looking at it, putting her fingers in various places. As she was doing so, Mr. Shaw's eyes traveled up and down her body and he quickly stopped himself.

 _"Easy, cowboy,"_ Darragh laughed.

Mr. Shaw rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Aha!" Amara exclaimed as she grabbed a small bottle and showed it to him. "Here we go."

Mr. Shaw took the bottle from her to examine it. "Is it true this stuff is actually made by witches?" he asked.

"So I've been told. C'mon, I'll ring you up." They both walked to the cash register and Amara rang up the item. "Okay, that's gonna be twenty four dollars and ninety nine cents."

Mr. Shaw dug out his credit card and put it in the credit card machine. After a while it beeped and he took it out while Amara placed the bottle on a small black Hot Topic bag. She grabbed the receipt, put it in the bag and handed it to Mr. Shaw.

"Thanks for stopping by at Hot Topic, sir," she said.

Mr. Shaw chuckled. "They pay you to say that?"

"Yeah, they do," Amara said, her face all scrunched up.

 _"Invite her to dinner,"_ Darragh blurted out inside Mr. Shaw's head.

 _"I'm not doing that. Someone might see..."_ Mr. Shaw thought.

_"Who cares? Just do it."_

"So, um, are you doing anything after work?" Mr. Shaw inquired nervously.

Amara's face blanched. "Um...yes, actually, I am. I uh...ahem...I have a date."

 _"Oh no..."_ Darragh said sadly.

"Oh yeah? Who's the lucky guy?" Mr. Shaw asked.

"Um...Benjamin..." she said, lowering her gaze.

 _"Benjamin?! I'll rip that bastard apart!"_ Darragh growled.

Mr. Shaw frowned. "Really? I thought you said you didn't like him?"

"I don't," she blurted out. "I honestly don't know why I agreed to it. Maybe so he'll leave me alone, I guess? Because I'm not expecting the date to go well."

Mr. Shaw frowned at her. "You should cancel it."

Her eyebrows raised. "I should? Why?"

He fidgeted slightly. "Well...uh..."

 _"Because you want to date her instead. Because you don't like Benjamin. Because you think he doesn't deserve someone as sweet and as beautiful as her_ _,"_ Darragh pointed out. _"Shall I go on?"_

"You did say you don't know why you agreed to it. Isn't that a, uh, what's the phrase? A red flag?" Mr. Shaw said.

Amara laughed and nodded. "You do have a point. But I can't cancel. I'd feel too bad. Besides, I'm sure it'll just be the one date." Amara leaned in close. "I plan to make myself as undesirable as possible."

Mr. Shaw smirked and jerked his head. "That's gonna be hard to accomplish, I think."

Amara's gaze softened as she looked at him. "You think so?"

"I know so."

A deep red appeared on her cheeks and she looked away with a smile. "That's...um...very nice of you to say, Mr. Shaw," she whispered, looking back at him.

"Amara?"

Amara looked past Mr. Shaw and he immediately knew who it was. Darragh snarled viciously inside his head.

"Benjamin," she said with wide eyes. "Um, hi."

Mr. Shaw stood up straight and turned around to see Benjamin holding a bouquet of roses. Benjamin's eyes narrowed at the man and his lip curled up into a sneer.

"What's _he_ doing here?" Benjamin asked viciously.

"Buying a present," Mr. Shaw replied with just as much venom.

Amara got between the two of them and frowned. "Benjamin, Mr. Shaw, please don't cause a scene."

 _"Kill the bastard. Maim him. Hurt him!"_ Darragh yelled.

"I'm not doing anything," Benjamin smirked. "Just waiting to take you out on our _date,"_ he said.

A low growl escaped Mr. Shaw's lips. He didn't want Amara dating this aggressive idiot, but he did his best to remain calm. Especially when he felt Amara's hand on his chest. He instantly relaxed.

"Mr. Shaw, please be calm," she said. He nodded but kept his eyes on Benjamin. "I'm gonna go clock out, Benjamin. Be right back."

Amara walked away but the two men stared each other down.

* * *

Amara went to the back room, put her back to the wall and held a hand to her chest. This was insane. Why were they still trying to fight over her? And why was Mr. Shaw being so angry towards Benjamin? Did he still not like him for the way Benjamin grabbed her yesterday?

 _"I think it's safe to say that Mr. Shaw definitely likes you,"_ Dakota said. _"He should be the one taking you out on a date, not Benjamin."_

 _"I thought you wanted me to go out with Benjamin?"_ Amara thought.

_"Between the two men, I prefer Mr. Shaw. He's been nothing but kind, sweet and protective towards you. Benjamin has been an asshole to you for years. I know he's trying to make amends but you should let him know his hatred towards you is not easily forgotten."_

Amara nodded and agreed. At least with the part about Benjamin's behavior. She immediately clocked out, grabbed her book bag and headed back out. The two werewolves were still staring each other down.

 _"This is so hot, them fighting over you, though,"_ Dakota stated.

Amara giggled. _"Shut up."_

Amara walked to both the men and cleared her throat. "Well, this has been delightful, but, uh, Benjamin and I have to go."

Mr. Shaw nodded at her. "Ah, well, have fun on your date," he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"It was nice seeing you, Mr. Shaw," she said as Benjamin took her hand and pulled her away.

He waved at her with a soft smile then glared at Benjamin.

* * *

Benjamin gave Mr. Shaw a very smug grin before the two left the store. He put an arm around Amara's shoulders and turned back around.

 _"I win this round, asshole,"_ he thought to himself.

"So, where are we going?" Amara asked as she took the flowers and smelled them. "So pretty..."

"We're going to Zuccaro's, and yes, pretty like you."

Amara blushed. "Oh stop it."

Benjamin laughed as they walked through the mall.


	8. Basketball

Amara and Benjamin arrived at Zuccaro's and were immediately seated. It was a very nice Italian restaurant with posters of typical Italian actors and movie scenes on the walls and the tables were covered with white and red checkered cloths. Amara ordered a Coke and Benjamin ordered a Dr. Pepper. They grabbed their menus and browsed it.

"What are you gonna have?" he asked her.

Amara shrugged. "I don't know yet. What about you?"

"I think I'm gonna have the veal parmigiana."

"Hmm..." Amara kept browsing the menu. "Ah, hell. I'm getting the shrimp scampi."

Benjamin laughed. "You always get that when we come here."

"I know but it's good!"

The waiter came by with their drinks and asked if they were ready to order. They both ordered their food and the waiter left to go put in the order. Amara took a drink of Coke and sighed.

"So, I need to show you something," Amara said.

"Yeah? What's up?"

Amara grabbed her book bag and pulled out the book she got from the library. She turned to the page about black wolves and handed it to Benjamin.

"Read," she said.

Benjamin's eyes drifted back and forth on the page. After a bit, he looked at Amara with a shocked expression.

"So...your scent is just-"

"Messing with your sense of smell. And Jackson's."

Benjamin leaned back in his chair. "Wow. That's just...wow. So my attraction to you is...fake?"

"I think so," she said with a frown. "I'm sorry if I burst your bubble."

"No, it's...huh." Benjamin handed her back the book and she stuffed it back in her bag. "It's gonna get worse?"

"Yeah. That's why Mr. Shaw was at my work. He was buying me anti scent spray. As a birthday gift."

Benjamin's eyes narrowed. "Why would he be buying you a gift?"

Amara shrugged. "To be nice, I guess." She sighed and rubbed her face. "I'm going to have unmated males flocking to me for the wrong reasons unless I have that stuff."

"Well..." he huffed in resignation. "So much for me kissing you later."

Amara cackled loudly. "As if I'd let you."

Benjamin made a face. "Well, you never know. It could happen."

Amara shook her head with a giggle. "If you tried to kiss me, it'd be for the wrong reason."

Amara frowned at the thought suddenly. No one was ever going to love her for being who she is. They were only going to be attracted to her because of her scent. This saddened her to the core. She lowered her gaze to the table, a deeper frown forming on her face.

"What's wrong?" Benjamin asked.

"I'm never going to be loved for me," she surmised.

"Hey, that's not true," Benjamin assured.

"Yes it is. It'll all be because of my black wolf scent. It won't be real."

Benjamin got up and got into the chair next to her, then he grabbed her hand. "Listen. I don't think the Moon Goddess would have given you a black wolf just so you could never be loved for real."

Amara gripped Benjamin's hand and looked at him, tears threatening to spill over. "I don't think the Moon Goddess made me this way. I think I'm just cursed."

He quirked his mouth to the side and a sad look appeared in his violet eyes before he lifted a hand and cupped her cheek. "You're not cursed. Maybe there's a way to, I dunno, control your scent or something? What else does the book say?"

"I haven't looked."

"Well, let's take a look."

Amara pulled the book out again and opened it. She skimmed through the pages until she got to the part about black wolves. She groaned when she read more of the information.

_"While the scent can be controlled through magic or anti scent spray, those are not recommended for long term use. The only way to permanently stop the scent from driving unmated wolves into a frenzy is for the black wolf to find his or her_ _mate and complete the mating process."_

Amara slammed her forehead on the table as Benjamin took the book. "Well, crap," he said. "That really sucks for you. You better hope your mate is in our pack."

Amara nodded and looked at Benjamin. "I didn't even want to find my damn mate. Now I'm being forced into the search. But how can I find him if I have to cover up my scent?"

"Hmm. Well, according to Dad, touching your mate will let you know, too."

"So I gotta touch every single unmated male I can find?"

"Yeah, that would be problematic. Well, all you can do is use that spray. I hope Mr. Shaw gives it to you before the weekend."

"Or I could just go buy some of my own."

"True."

Benjamin went back to his seat and Amara put the book back in her bag. They sat in silence for a good while, Amara not knowing what else she could say to him. Finally, their food came and Amara dug in quickly. She no longer had much of an appetite but she forced herself to eat.

"Are you attracted to me, though?" Benjamin blurted out.

Amara nearly choked on her pasta. "What?"

"Are you attracted to me?"

Amara swallowed her food and bit her lip. "Well, maybe a little."

"And Mr. Shaw?"

Amara rolled her eyes. "Even if I was, which I'm not, nothing would ever happen between him and me. He's a teacher and I'm a student."

"But I can tell he likes you."

Amara tilted her head to one side. "How can you tell?"

"Because he's so protective of you. I don't think that's just your scent doing that to him, either."

"How would you know?"

"He said some stuff while you were clocking out," Benjamin offered, eating his food.

Amara's eyes went wide. "He did? What did he say?"

Benjamin laughed. "He passive aggressively threatened me that if I ever touched you in a bad way again, he'd come and beat the crap out of me."

Amara giggled lightly. "Really?"

"Oh yeah. But anyway..." Benjamin ate more of his food. "You need to relax about this scent stuff. It's gonna be fine."

Amara gave him an unenthusiastic nod and went back to eating. The two ate in silence as there was not much else to say. When they were finished, Benjamin asked for the check and paid for the meal. They left the restaurant and got into Benjamin's car.

"Does this mean you're gonna go back to hating me?" she inquired.

Benjamin grinned at her. "No."

"So, what are you going to do about the fake attraction?"

Benjamin sighed as he turned on the car. "Well, I wouldn't say it's _entirely_ fake..."

Amara blinked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean before I got a whiff of your new scent, I was...already...sort of attracted to you."

Amara blinked even more. "What? Since when?"

Benjamin started driving and cleared his throat. "When you turned seventeen," he said with a blush.

"So you've been attracted to me for a whole year and not only did you keep it to yourself, you still terrorized me?!" Amara snapped.

"I didn't know how to handle it. I'm sorry," he said with a crinkling of his brow. "Was I really that bad to you?"

Amara scoffed. "Benjamin, you wrote "cursed" on my locker at school when you still went there. How is that not bad to you?"

He cringed a little. "Yeah, I...I'm sorry about that too."

Amara crossed her arms. "So...now what?"

"I don't know. All I know is that I'm really sorry."

"Well, I don't forgive you. Not after all the crap you put me through," Amara growled.

"I know. But you weren't exactly a saint to me, either," he pointed out.

"Only because you were an asshole to me."

"Fair enough."

Amara crossed her arms and slumped into her seat. Well, this date definitely went down the drain real quick...which is what she'd been hoping for, so why was she so mad? She didn't want to think about it or Benjamin so her mind drifted to Mr. Shaw.

Was Mr. Shaw genuinely attracted to her or was it just her scent? Even so, it's not like she could ask him about it. It would be very inappropriate. Maybe that's why he bought her the anti scent spray. So he could stop being attracted to her. This made her even more upset.

 _"I suppose it's for the best,"_ Amara thought.

 _"This really bites,"_ Dakota said.

After a bit of driving, they finally got home. Amara immediately got out of the car and went stomping towards the house. Benjamin called out after her but she ignored him. As she got to the door she was turned around and was facing Benjamin. He had the roses in his hand and he looked very forlorn.

"You forgot these," he uttered.

Amara grabbed the roses and went inside. She immediately stormed into the kitchen and threw the roses into the garbage. Gabriel and Sonya raised their brows at her.

"Hey, where did you-" Sonya started.

"I hate men!" she shouted before exiting the kitchen and stomping up the stairs.

"Amara, wait a second!" Benjamin called out.

Amara ran to her room, shut the door and locked it before throwing her book bag by the bed and plopping face down onto her bed, burying her face into her pillow. Amara screamed out of sheer frustration.

"Amara," Benjamin's muffled voice came through the door. "Amara, please open the door."

Amara rolled on her side and pressed her pillow against her ears to block out Benjamin and every other sound that could possibly be heard but it wasn't enough to drown him out. She wasn't even sure why she was acting like this and she hated it. She hated Benjamin and she hated Mr. Shaw. She hated everybody!

 _"Amara, you need to calm down!"_ Dakota urged.

"No!" Amara yelled in her mind.

"Amara, please open the door," she heard Benjamin say. "I just want to talk."

"What's going on?" Janine said behind the door.

"The date didn't go very well."

"Ugh, I knew you'd screw this up. Amara, sis, let's talk."

"Go away!" Amara shouted.

"Ben, let's just walk away. She obviously does not want to be bothered. Give her time to calm down."

Amara heard footsteps in the hallway and she took deep breaths. She laid on her back and stared up at the ceiling, glaring at it.

"Why can't I just be a normal werewolf?" she asked out loud.

* * *

The next day, Amara decided to run to school so she left earlier than normal. She went to the edge of the woods, shifted into her wolf, grabbed her back pack and went running. Running always helped clear her mind when she was distressed. Amara jumped over rocks and fallen tree trunks as she traveled. After running a couple of miles she slowed down to a trot before dropping her bag and stopping to catch her breath.

After a few minutes, Amara picked up her bag and went running once more. As her paws pounded against the ground, she felt more relaxed. More free. Free of all the negative emotions and thoughts from yesterday, free from all the bullshit of being a black wolf. She felt more alive than ever.

Amara finally made it to the tree line that was across from the school. She transformed back into her human form, got dressed and started walking as she lugged her back pack over her shoulder. The parking lot was pretty empty save for a few cars and she realized she must've run faster than she thought.

As she got into school, she noticed it was completely empty. Well, she had arrived pretty early so it was to be expected. Amara decided to head to the library to read more of that book.

Unfortunately, the door was locked.

 _"Damn,"_ she thought.

Amara checked her phone. School wasn't supposed to start for another fifty minutes. She decided to go to the gym and see if there was anything to do in there. Maybe she could shoot some hoops while she waited. When she got to the gym she noticed the teacher was setting up some stuff so Amara walked in.

"Hey Mr. Skyler," she said.

Mr. Skyler, a man with dark skin and piercing amber eyes smiled at her. "Ah, hello Amara. What brings you to school so early?"

Amara shrugged. "I just felt like coming early. Do you mind if I shoot some hoops while I wait for school to start?"

"Not at all," he said, going into the storage closet. He came back out with a basketball and tossed it to her which she deftly caught. "Knock yourself out."

Amara grinned and put her backpack down to the sidelines, then she started dribbling down the court and made a lay up. Perfect shot. She grabbed the ball and ran back up to the other side of the court, shooting from the three point line. Ha, nothing but net.

She continued shooting hoops and dribbling around with the gym teacher watching her from time to time. Amara started making consecutive shots from the foul line and she didn't miss a single shot.

"You really should think about joining the basketball team, Amara!" Mr. Skyler shouted from across the gym.

"Yeah, I know! I've been thinking about it lately!" she yelled back, her voice echoing and bouncing off the walls of the gym.

"What's it gonna take for you to join?"

"If you can get other people to stop saying we'd lose because I'm cursed, that would do it!"

The teacher laughed and walked up to her as she made another shot from the foul line. "Listen, Amara. You really are talented and you shouldn't let it go to waste. Especially not because some people think you shouldn't play."

Amara sighed. "I know. You're right. But..." she made another shot. "I just...what if we did lose all the time because I'm cursed?"

"Well, it wouldn't be any worse than we are now," he chuckled.

"Fair point, Mr. Skyler."

"Alright. So, how about it, Amara? Maybe you could come to a couple of practices and prove people wrong."

Amara sighed. "You sure are a persistent man, aren't you?"

"Yes."

A quirky expression formed on her face. "Alright. A couple of practices to see how I do."

"Excellent! We have practice tomorrow after school, then another one on Monday after school."

Amara nodded and shook the man's hand. "I'll be there."

She gave him the ball, announcing that she was done and grabbed her backpack. As she exited the gym, Amara smiled to herself.

She went back to the library but it was still locked. Amara didn't want to go to her math class yet. She felt like things would be awkward between her and Mr. Shaw, especially because of last night. Still, she knew she'd been lying to Benjamin about being attracted to the man.

How could she not be, though? How could any girl not be attracted to Mr. Shaw? The man was sexy as hell and his Scottish accent just added to his sexiness.

Unfortunately, nothing would ever come of it. Not while he was still a teacher at Red Blood High. And his attraction to her was fake anyway. And yet...he continued to flirt with her, even though he knew it was a false attraction. So engrossed in her thoughts, Amara hadn't realized she was now just outside Mr. Shaw's classroom.

 _"Crap,"_ she thought.

 _"You need to go in and talk to him, Amara,"_ said Dakota.

_"About what?"_

_"He obviously has feelings for you."_

_"False feelings."_

_"But what if they're not?"_

_"Why are you so insistent on me doing this? You should be more focused on finding our mate,"_ Amara scolded.

_"I know, but there's something about Mr. Shaw that I find...I don't know, I just can't put my paw on it."_

_"You act like he is our mate."_

Dakota laughed. _"Maybe he is. He smells soooooo much better than any of the other boys you've been around."_

Amara blushed. She actually agreed with Dakota on that. The man smelled sensational. He smelled how a man should smell. Did he use Axe for body wash or something?

"Amara?" Amara blinked and saw Mr. Shaw at his door, looking at her with a confused look. "What are you doing at school so early?"

"Um...I went for an early run and got here faster than I thought I would," she said with a bashful expression. "How did you even know I was out here?"

It was Mr. Shaw's turn to blush. "I, uh...could smell you. You're very, um, potent today."

"Oh. Well, I was shooting hoops at the gym just now so that might be why." She sniffed herself. "Is it that bad?"

"No!" he replied with wide eyes. "It's good, actually. Better than good."

Amara rubbed her arm up and down, feeling heat rush to her cheeks. "Oh. I see."

"Speaking of your scent, I figured you should uh, have your present early."

"Oh. Right."

Amara smiled and walked into the classroom.


	9. Practice

As Amara passed him by, Mr. Shaw closed his eyes softly as her scent invaded his nostrils. He took a deep breath in and almost smiled. Amara smelled _so_ _good._ Coming back to his senses, he shut the door and walked up to his desk. He opened a drawer and pulled out a present wrapped in red and white wrapping paper.

"Here," he said. "As per tradition, it is wrapped up."

Amara grinned and took the present to open it. While taking off the paper, she eyed him with suspicion in her eyes. Mr. Shaw smiled when her eyes lit up.

"Oh my Goddess, you got me a Lars Ulrich Funko Pop! figure?! Where did you even find one?" she asked excitedly.

"I ordered it last night. Overnight shipping," he explained. "Do you like it?"

Amara squealed in delight and laughed. "I love it! Thank you!"

She flung her arms around him to give him a big hug and Mr. Shaw trembled a little when she did that. Her scent almost overwhelmed him but he managed to keep his cool and return the hug. However, having her in his arms made him extremely happy.

 _"Kiss her!"_ Darragh shouted in his head.

 _"No, I am not going to kiss her!"_ Mr. Shaw shouted back.

As much as he wanted to kiss Amara, he couldn't. And that was driving him crazy on the inside. On the outside, though, he was calm and collected. That was until he realized they were still hugging. He cleared his throat and pulled away slightly to look down at her smiling face and bright green eyes. Goddess, she was so beautiful.

"Bidh do bhòidhchead a 'briseadh mo chridhe," he uttered softly. _[Your beauty breaks my heart.]_

Amara scrunched up her face. "What?"

Mr. Shaw blinked madly, not believing he just said that. "It's nothing. Um..." he let go of her and reached into his desk again. "I have your spray here, too."

"Was that Scottish?" she asked him as she grabbed the spray.

"Um, yes. Yes it was. Gaelic is actually what it's called, though," he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "You wanna try that stuff out? See if it works?"

Amara shook her head. "I'll wait until it actually becomes a problem," she said, stuffing the bottle into her book bag. "But what did you say to me just now? In Gaelic?"

Mr. Shaw blushed. "Honestly, I shouldn't have even said it."

"Why? Was it something bad about me?" she asked with a pout.

"No."

"Then what was it? You can tell me," she giggled.

Mr. Shaw smirked. "No, I don't think I will. I'm gonna let you suffer."

Amara's mouth dropped and she scoffed with a twinkle in her eye. "Mr. Shaw, you're so mean."

He laughed and sat on his desk, crossing his arms over his chest. "Oh, I'm very mean, lass."

"Hmph! How rude!"

Mr. Shaw barked with laughter and sighed. "Yeah, I admit it. I'm so mean and rude."

Amara giggled. "You got anything else to say in Gaelic, Mr. Shaw?"

Mr. Shaw thought for a moment before getting a serious look on his face. "Tha gaol agam air do shùilean." _[I love your eyes.]_

The side of Amara's mouth quirked up. "What's that?"

"Nothing," he smirked.

He realized he could tell her things, just not in English. This was going to be interesting. And fun.

"Psh, well, keep talkin', mister. Gaelic sounds very..." she looked as though she were thinking for a moment, "...cool."

Mr. Shaw sniffed the air. He could smell her arousal.

 _"Oh Goddess, she's turned on by this?"_ he asked himself.

 _"Keep talking Gaelic,"_ Darragh urged.

Mr. Shaw smirked. "No, I think that's enough for one day," he said.

"Aww," Amara groaned. "Do you think you could teach me?"

"Maybe one day, sure."

Amara smiled excitedly. "Well, I'm gonna head to my locker and put Lars in it. I'll be back."

Amara left the room and Mr. Shaw blew a raspberry before turning to the blackboard. "Well, that was interesting," he said to himself.

* * *

Amara quickly made her way to the library. It was finally open. She got in and went straight for the computers. She typed in "Gaelic" and came up with nothing.

 _"Damn,"_ she thought.

She really wanted to surprise Mr. Shaw and learn the language. How hard could it be, really?

* * *

The rest of the day went by smoothly and Amara left with some books from the library. She met up with Janine and asked her to take her to Barnes and Noble. Janine agreed and they left the school.

"So why do you need to go there?" Janine asked.

"Mr. Shaw speaks Gaelic. I want to learn it."

"Why?" she asked in confusion.

"He said some stuff to me in Gaelic today but he refused to tell me what he was saying. He's so mean," Amara said with a laugh.

"Oooh, I see. Well, you better get cracking on that."

Eventually the two reached the book store and both of them got out of the car. Amara quickly raced in and looked for the language section. After finding it, she fingered the books to try and find anything about learning Scottish Gaelic. She found three books. Amara grabbed them, brought them to the front and purchased them. Janine was waiting out front for her when Amara came out.

"You got your books?" Janine asked.

"Yep," Amara replied, waving the bag about.

They got back in the car and drove home. When they got there, Amara quickly vacated the vehicle and went straight to her room to start on learning the language. She plopped on the bed and took out the books, then she picked one and began reading it.

After about five minutes she tossed the book aside.

"Man, that crap is haaard," she said to herself.

 _"You'll get the hang of it,"_ Dakota said.

Amara nodded and grabbed the next book. After reading it for a bit, she realized this book was much easier.

"...muc agus cú," she said. _[A pig and a dog.]_

 _"That's pretty good, I think. Try a different one,"_ Dakota urged.

"Um...ba...balach agus cat." _[a boy and a cat.]_

There was a knock on her door and she quickly put the books under her pillow. "Come in!" Amara called out.

The door creaked open and Benjamin poked his head in, making Amara do an eye roll. "Hi," he said.

"Hello," she said bitterly. "What do you want?"

"Can I come in?"

"I guess," she sighed.

Benjamin frowned and walked in, shutting the door behind him. "You're still mad at me," he stated.

"Yes."

"Heh, guess I can't blame you." Benjamin grabbed her desk chair, dragged it over to the bed and sat in it, facing Amara. "I'm not doing a very good job of making things up, am I..."

"Not really, no," Amara replied, crossing her arms.

"Hmm. What can I do, then? Name it."

Amara's eyes widened and she sighed, flinging her legs over so she could sit in front of Benjamin. "I don't know. Look, I'm not really as mad as I was yesterday. I got to really clear my head this morning and...and I know you're trying your best to be a good guy to me."

Benjamin gave her a sad smile. "I could still do better."

"Yeah, you could. So keep trying."

Benjamin eyed her and sighed. "Okay."

Amara nibbled on her lip as she looked at him. Goddess, he was gorgeous. At least now she knew his attraction to her was somewhat real. Her eyes went to his lips and she huffed.

 _"I wonder what it would be like to kiss him,"_ she thought.

 _"Amara! Think about Mr. Shaw! You are way more attracted to him than you are to Benjamin!"_ Dakota snapped.

_"Well, at least Benjamin's attraction to me is somewhat real."_

_"You don't know that Mr. Shaw's attraction to you isn't real."_

_"But even if it was, we can't do anything about it."_

Dakota whined and escaped into the abyss of Amara's mind. What has gotten into her?

"Amara, are you listening to me?" Benjamin asked, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

Amara blinked madly and giggled. "Sorry, I was distracted with something."

"Were you talking to Dakota?" he inquired.

"Yes."

"About what?"

"Nothing important."

Benjamin nodded his head. "Hmm," he hummed. "Riiight."

"It's nothing you need to know about. It's between me and my wolf."

Benjamin chuckled and nodded. "Okay, okay fine. So, what would you like for your birthday?"

Amara shrugged. "I dunno. Just get me a t-shirt or something."

"Oh c'mon, you gotta want something more than that."

Amara sighed. "What I really want is a damn car. I'd try to buy one myself but on my salary, it's impossible."

"Okay. What kind of car do you want?" Benjamin asked curiously.

"I dunno. I don't care if it's a clunker, I'm just tired of bumming rides from people."

"Hmm. Okay. I'll see what I can do."

Amara laughed. "I won't hold my breath."

"No, I'm serious. It's about time you had a car of your own. I'll talk to Mom and Dad about it, okay?"

Amara sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Alright, do what you gotta do."

Benjamin pat her leg before leaving the room.

Once he was gone, Amara decided to get started on her homework.

* * *

The next day went by smoothly and soon Amara found herself in the gym in her gym uniform waiting for practice to start. Some of the other girls were whispering amongst themselves, wondering what "Cursed" was doing there. Amara ignored them.

Coach Skyler came out of the storage room with a cart full of basketballs. "Alright, girls," he announced. "Line up."

All the teenagers lined up on the sidelines, including Amara. She wondered what was going on.

"Okay," he said, grabbing a basketball. "We have a new player with us today. Her name is Amara Jenson, so say hello."

Some of the girls said hello while some of the others scoffed. Amara waved to the nice kids but scowled at the mean ones. One girl raised her hand so Mr. Skyler pointed at her.

"Yes?"

"Why is _Cursed_ joining us?" she asked with a smirk.

"Debra, that's no way to talk about someone, let alone a team mate. And that goes for the rest of you," he emphasized. "If I hear that word from any of you, I'll kick you off the team. Got it?"

"Yes, coach," the girls said in response.

"Good. Now, we're gonna do some lay ups to start practice but first let's do some stretches."

Amara watched the other girls and followed them in the stretching. The blonde girl named Debra just shook her head and whispered to some other girls. Amara merely rolled her eyes and reached down to her toes.

"Don't take to heart what Debra says," the brunette girl next to Amara whispered. "She's just a big jerk."

"Thanks," Amara said with a groan before standing up.

"I'm Sally," the girl said as she did more stretching.

"Nice to meet you, Sally."

The stretching stopped and Mr. Skyler passed out balls to each girl. Amara briefly counted and realized there were twelve girls including herself. They all dribbled towards the court and each one did a lay up. They did this move over and over but Amara was the only one who made each shot. Sally only missed a couple. A few others made most their shots very well.

"Okay girls. I want us to do a scrimmage and I'm going to try Amara out in different positions. Amara, I want you to try and be a power forward so you need to be on the left there by the basket. Your job is to rebound, block, and receive passes for inside shots. You got it?"

"Yep," Amara said with a smile.

She made her way to her position and watched as Debra guarded her. Sally made her way across the court, dribbling and looking for an opening. Amara tried getting around Debra but Debra was pretty ruthless in guarding her. Amara finally got around Debra just as Sally passed the ball. She caught it and turned to shoot but Debra knocked into Amara, making Amara fall down. Amara landed on her butt and groaned. Mr. Skyler blew his whistle.

"What was that, Debra?" he asked angrily.

"Oops, sorry," Debra mocked.

Mr. Skyler shook his head. "Alright. Sally, run the play again. Amara, same position. Debra, no fouling this time."

Amara got up and brushed herself off before taking up the position again.

* * *

Practice was over and Amara was sweating her ass off. She went to the locker room with the other girls, changed into her regular clothes and left. All in all, she had a great time. Maybe she should really join the basketball team. Amara pulled her black hair out of its ponytail and brushed a hand through it as she walked outside.

She saw Benjamin waiting outside for her and she blinked. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to pick you up," he replied.

"Oh. Well, thanks," she said as she got to him.

"How'd practice go?"

"Great...although there's this girl named Debra that's really got it out for me."

Benjamin tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

Amara sighed. "She asked the coach why "Cursed" was allowed to join the team, and she knocked me on my ass a couple of times."

Benjamin opened the door for her. "C'mon, get in."

Amara thanked him and got in. Benjamin walked around to the other side and got in, starting up his car with a smile on his face. Amara eyeballed him.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" she asked.

"Nothing. Just gonna take you somewhere."

"Can I go home and shower first?" she groaned loudly.

"Nope. We're meeting up with Mom and Dad."

"Why?"

"You'll see."

Amara sighed and looked out the window as they drove away. As they drove into town, Amara looked out the side window, wondering what Benjamin was up to.

After a while they pulled up into a car dealership and she made a confused face. She saw Gabriel's black Mustang parked in the parking lot.

"What are we doing here?" she asked Benjamin.

Benjamin parked next to Gabriel and turned off the car, looking at Amara with a smile. "We're getting you a car today."

"W-What?" Amara asked, her mouth agape.

"Yeah. Mom and Dad were already planning on getting you one for your birthday anyway so we decided to get it today."

Amara giggled happily and clapped her hands. "Holy crap!"

Amara got out and so did Benjamin. They met up with Sonya and Gabriel and Gabriel grinned.

"You ready to pick out your first car?" he asked Amara.

"Heck yeah!" Amara replied excitedly.


	10. Complications

Amara squealed in delight as she got behind the wheel of her brand new car, a black Chevy Camaro. She turned it on and listened to it purr.

"Hell yes!" Amara yelled. "Whooo!" She turned the car off, got out and hugged Gabriel and Sonya. "This is the best present ever! Thank you!" she said with tears in her eyes.

"You deserve it, Little One," Gabriel murmurred, hugging her back.

"Can I drive it around for a bit?" she asked, pulling away from them.

"Of course! It's your car, after all."

Amara jumped up and down for joy and got back in the car. "I'll only be out for a little bit!"

"Naw, take your time, kid. Go enjoy yourself."

Amara got back into the car, turned it on and smiled. "This is _so cool!"_ she yelled as she pulled out of the driveway and sped off. "Just listen to that engine, Dakota!"

 _"I hear it,"_ Dakota said. _"I don't know what the fuss is all about."_

"That's because you don't drive," Amara said, driving down the main road out of the cul-de-sac.

_"Well, c'mon. Let's see what she's got, then."_

Amara giggled and drove around until she found a straight road that wasn't busy. She smirked deviously as she gripped the wheel and revved the engine.

 _"Don't go too far down this road, Amara. It leads to the end of the Red Blood territory_ _,"_ Dakota warned.

 _"I'll be careful,"_ Amara assured.

Amara stepped on the gas and went screeching down the road. She giggled hysterically as she reached seventy miles per hour. When she got to eighty she kept going.

 _"Amara! You're gonna cross the territory line!"_ Dakota yelled.

Amara slammed on the brakes and her tires skidded across the pavement.

"Woooo!" she yelled with joy. "What a rush!"

She put the car in reverse and backed up a little before going into drive and turning around to speed up again. She hit eighty miles per hour again and whooped with joy. She stepped on the brakes to slow down and smiled, but then she caught a glimpse of movement in her rearview mirror and gasped.

Wolves.

* * *

Gabriel was attending to paperwork in his office. There had been sightings of wolves near the border between them and the old Pale Moon Pack's territory. This was unsettling, to say the least. According to his men, they weren't rogues. Someone must've claimed the former pack's territory. This was not sanctioned by the Elders, though, so how could it be? He wondered how Amara would react if she knew about this.

 _"Gabriel, we've got a problem!"_ Leo blurted out in the mind link.

 _"What's wrong?"_ he asked.

_"It's Amara. She was attacked by the old 21 Interstate, just shy of the border."_

Gabriel immediately grabbed his car keys and went running out the door. _"Is she okay?"_

 _"We don't know. She took them all out but..."_ Leo hesitated.

 _"But what?!"_ Gabriel demanded as he got to his car.

_"She won't shift back and she's pacing. She keeps trying to attack anyone who comes near her."_

_"I'm on my way!"_ Gabriel said as he got in and started his car.

He went driving like a mad man out of the driveway and through the neighborhood before turning onto the main road.

_"Just keep the men away from her until I get there."_

_"Yeah, about that..."_ Leo paused.

_"What?"_

_"The men...they keep trying to go after her. It's like they can't help themselves."_

Gabriel stepped on the gas.

When he got to the area where Leo told him Amara was, he slowed down and got out next to her car. Amara's black wolf was snarling at his men and sure enough, they kept trying to go at her. Some dead wolves littered the ground. Gabriel assumed that was Amara's handiwork. He exited his vehicle and ran up to Leo.

"What the hell?" he said.

"I don't know what's happening," Leo explained. "The men won't listen to me."

Gabriel nodded and started walking towards Amara and the other werewolves. "Men! Back off!" he demanded in his Alpha voice.

Some of the men turned to him and Gabriel saw their eyes were black. Their wolves were in control.

"Mine!" they all yelled.

Amara was looking between all of them, drool dripping from her fangs as she snarled and growled. Her body was tense like she was ready to pounce and the fur on her back was raised.

"I said back off!" Gabriel growled. "All of you!"

None of the men were listening. This was very odd. What the hell was going on?

 _"Amara, what is happening?"_ he asked her in the mind link.

 _"It's our scent,"_ Dakota answered. _"Our scent is driving them into a frenzy."_

Gabriel took a step closer. _"How do you know?"_

 _"Amara read a book about black wolves in the library at school. It said something about her scent making all unmated wolves want to claim her and mate with her. It'll get worse once she turns eighteen,"_ Dakota explained.

Gabriel groaned. _"Well that explains a lot. How do we fix it?"_

_"Mr. Shaw bought Amara some anti scent spray. It's in her book bag in the car."_

Gabriel jogged to Amara's car and opened it. He reached in and started rummaging around for the spray. He found it and stood up straight, running over to Amara. He took the lid off and started spraying Amara everywhere. After a while, he noticed the other werewolves were coming out of their daze.

 _"Dakota, why isn't Amara in control?"_ Gabriel asked.

 _"She's terrified,"_ Dakota answered.

Gabriel sighed, bent down and scratched the black wolf behind the ears. "Well, it's okay. You can come out now, Amara."

Amara whined and buried her muzzle into Gabriel's chest. He laughed quietly and pat her side.

 _"I don't want to shift right now. Not in front of all of them,"_ Amara said.

Gabriel nodded and stood up. "Leo, would you take Amara home in her car?"

"Yes, Alpha," Leo said with a nod as he looked at Amara. "C'mon, let's get you home."

Amara trotted over to her car and Leo opened the back door for her. She jumped in and Gabriel sighed with a shake of his head. He looked down at the anti scent spray and frowned.

 _"Mr. Shaw?"_ Gabriel called out in the mind link.

 _"Yes?"_ Mr. Shaw replied.

_"I need to see you as soon as possible at my house."_

* * *

Mr. Shaw pulled up to the mansion and gulped. He had a feeling this was not going to go well. He parked the car, turned it off and got out. As he reached the door and rang the door bell, his palms began to sweat. After a minute, the door opened to reveal Sonya.

"Oh hi, Mr. Shaw. Good to see you," she said with a smile. "Come in. Gabriel is waiting for you in his study."

Mr. Shaw stepped inside and took off his coat. He put it on his arm and walked to Gabriel's study, knocking on the door.

"Come in," Gabriel's muffled voice called out.

Mr. Shaw opened the door and Gabriel motioned for him to sit. He closed the door and sat in front of Gabriel's desk.

"What can I do for you, Alpha?" Mr. Shaw asked.

Gabriel pulled out Amara's anti scent spray and placed it on the desk. Mr. Shaw's face blanched.

"I had to use this on her today because some of my men were going after her. All unmated males," Gabriel explained.

Mr. Shaw's fists tightened at the thought of any man going after Amara. "Is she alright?"

"A little shaken up, but she'll be fine." Mr. Shaw nodded, sighing with relief. "Mr. Shaw, why did you buy her this?"

"Well, she did some research on black wolves in the library and apparently, her scent is a natural aphrodisiac. And it's going to get worse when she turns eighteen, according to the book. And...well, she does have a...scent. So...I just thought the spray would be useful for her."

"Mmhmm." Gabriel leaned back in his chair. "Mr. Shaw, what interest do you have in Amara?"

Mr. Shaw blinked. "She's my student."

"Uh huh. Well, you're an unmated male so of course you've smelled her."

Mr. Shaw sighed. "Yes, I have. The attraction is a farce, however. I know this, so you have nothing to worry about."

Gabriel laughed. "Worried? Who said I was worried?"

"I...I thought that's why you asked me to come here. To alleviate your worries about my intentions towards Amara," Mr. Shaw explained, looking very confused.

"Oh. Well, I called you here to thank you for buying her this. If you hadn't, well, who knows what could've happened to her today." Mr. Shaw relaxed in his seat. "But while we're on the subject..."

 _"Oh no..."_ Mr. Shaw thought.

"Are you sure your intentions for her are strictly...platonic? I want you to be honest with me. I won't place judgment."

Mr. Shaw frowned. "Amara, she...she fascinates me."

One of Gabriel's eyebrows quirked up. "Go on."

Mr. Shaw looked at his hands. "But she is a student. I won't act on any urges that I have."

"Listen, Mr. Shaw. You have my sympathies for what happened to you in Scotland. I can't imagine what rejection from a mate feels like. And I'm sure you're a very upstanding man, but...Amara is like a daughter to me. Can you blame me for wanting to know a suitor's intentions?"

Mr. Shaw looked at Gabriel. "A suitor? Alpha Forrester, I-"

"Amara isn't going to be your student forever, Mr. Shaw. And I have a feeling you will still be fascinated by her once she graduates from high school," Gabriel said, chuckling. "She is very special."

Mr. Shaw swallowed hard. "Yes, that she is."

Gabriel sighed. "On a more serious note, she was attacked by more wolves today when she went joyriding in her new birthday present."

Mr. Shaw straightened in his chair, looking quite worried. "Was she hurt?"

"Not that I know of. She killed all of them, actually."

Mr. Shaw was impressed. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Rogues?"

"No. In fact, we've had reports of pack wolves seen just outside our borders...in Amara's old territory."

Mr. Shaw sat up straighter. "Have they taken it over?"

"It's more than likely. I just don't understand why they went after her." Gabriel stood up. "In the mean time, I'm going to have her guarded from now on. This scent thing is not something to be taken lightly, not after what I saw it do to my men today."

"I understand." Mr. Shaw stood up as well. "Was there anything else?"

"Don't tell Amara about her old pack's territory or the wolves overtaking it."

"I won't say a word."

"Good. That'll be all, Mr. Shaw. Thank you for stopping by."

Mr. Shaw bowed his head and left the study. As he got his coat on and walked towards the door, he heard his name being called. He turned around to see Amara coming down the stairs.

"Mr. Shaw, what are you doing here?" she asked with a smile.

"Oh. Uh...the Alpha wanted to thank me for getting you the anti scent spray," Mr. Shaw replied. He sniffed the air. "I can tell that it's working."

Amara crossed her arms and chuckled. "Yeah, it's working well. Thank you again."

"You're welcome.".

Amara's eyes suddenly lit up. "Do you want to see my new car? Gabriel and Sonya got it for my birthday."

Mr. Shaw considered Gabriel's words carefully and shook his head. "Another time, perhaps. I need to get going."

Amara looked a little disappointed. "Alright, well, I'll see you on Monday, Mr. Shaw."

"Yeah. See ya."

Mr. Shaw exited the house and got into his car, frowning the whole way. As he drove out of the driveway and down the street, a red Dodge Charger came barreling by him.

* * *

Benjamin swerved his car into the driveway and turned it off before climbing out and running towards the house. He'd heard about what happened to Amara today and he was totally freaking out about it. He unlocked the door and rushed in to see Amara standing there. He immediately went to her and held her in his arms.

"I heard about what happened. Are you okay?" he asked in a strained voice.

"I'm okay," she replied. "Really, I'm-"

Benjamin grabbed her shoulders and looked her over. "That anti spray stuff really works. You don't smell at all."

Amara giggled. "I know."

Benjamin smiled at her. "You're sure that you're okay?"

"I'm fine. Really."

Benjamin embraced her tightly once more and kissed the top of her head. "I was so worried."

Amara looked up at him. "You were?"

"Yes. I was," he replied, stroking her face.

The study door opened and Gabriel poked his head out. Amara and Benjamin looked at him to see a disgruntled expression on his face.

"Amara, I need to talk to you," he said.

Amara nodded and left Benjamin's arms, entering the study.

* * *

Amara sat down in front of the Alpha's desk and huffed. "What's up?"

Gabriel furrowed his brow. "Amara, from now on, I'm going to have guards accompany you wherever you go."

Amara rolled her eyes. "You gotta be kidding me. I have the anti scent spray, I'll be fine with that."

"It's not just for that. It's these wolves beyond our borders. You've been attacked twice now by unknown enemies," Gabriel emphasized.

Amara sighed and buried her head in her hands. "This sucks."

"I know, but until we solve both problems, that's the way it's gotta be."

"I know how to fix one problem."

"You do?"

Amara raised her head and looked at him. "The scent problem. The only permanent fix is if I find my mate and...well, complete the mating process."

"I see. You read that in the book?" Gabriel asked, pacing back and forth.

"Yeah."

"Do you still have it? Did it say anything else?"

"Not really."

"Hmm. I'm going to make some calls. Perhaps the historians will have a book or some knowledge of this...phenomenon." Gabriel eyed balled her suddenly and he sat on his desk in front of her. "Tell me, are you and Benjamin a thing now or what?"

Amara's eyes darted back and forth. "No. Yes? I don't know."

"Huh. Strange. And here I thought you had a thing for your math teacher," he said with a smile.

Her eyes widened and her face turned white "Um, why would you think that?"

"I saw the way you looked at him at dinner. You like him."

Amara lowered her eyes. "I don't know what you mean, Gabriel. I mean, he's my teacher. I'm his student. It would be wrong if we...if I liked him."

He chortled lightly. "You don't have to lie to me, Little One."

A puff of air escaped Amara's lips. "Alright, fine. Yes, I like him. I like him a ridiculously large amount for someone I just met four days ago and it sucks because not only is he my teacher, not only am I a minor, but his attraction to me isn't even real. It's just because of my stupid scent. Benjamin is the safer bet. He was attracted to me before my scent changed, so his is real."

"But do you even like Benjamin?"

"...A little bit."

Gabriel smirked. "Alright, well...if that's what you really want."

Amara looked down. "It isn't. Not really."

"Then why settle?"

"Because being with Mr. Shaw would be impossible. There's too many big ass complications. And who's to say he would even be on board with being with me?"

Gabriel took a deep breath in. "Okay."

Amara stood up from the chair. "Is there anything else?"

"No."

Amara nodded and left the room. She saw Benjamin waiting for her outside with a sad expression.

"You really do like Mr. Shaw, don't you..." he said glumly.

Amara frowned and walked to Benjamin, holding his face in her hands. "Yes, but I like you, too."

Benjamin looked into her eyes and smiled a little. "You do?"

"Yeah. Just...give me some time to get over this crush, okay?"

Benjamin nodded, kissing her palm. "Okay."

Benjamin wrapped his arms around her and Amara nuzzled her face into his chest.


	11. Mate

The next day went by in a blur as the Forresters prepared for Amara's birthday party. Of course, Amara was not allowed to be involved so Benjamin took her out to town to keep her from knowing exactly what was being planned. He mostly stuffed her full of food since she was the hungriest werewolf on the planet, in his opinion.

Ever since the day before, though, she'd shown more affection towards him. Holding his hand, kissing his cheek, that sort of thing. It made him happy. He then took her to one of the ponds in town where ducks liked to play and they sat on a bench just watching the birds swim around. Amara snuggled into Benjamin's arms and sighed.

"This is nice," she offered.

"Yes, it is," Benjamin replied, wrapping an arm around her and kissing the top of her head.

"Man, if some of the girls at school saw me with you right now, they'd be so friggin jealous."

Benjamin laughed loudly. "Oh really?"

"Yeah. You're hot and you're the Alpha's son."

"I'm hot, huh?"

"I've always thought you were hot, Benjamin. But I always thought you were an asshole, too."

Benjamin cackled loudly. "Am I still an asshole?"

"Oh, totally," Amara said, sitting up. "But you're growing on me."

He smirked and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I can live with that."

"What the hell? What is Cursed doing with Benjamin Forrester?" Benjamin heard someone whisper as they strolled by.

Benjamin was about to say something but Amara stopped him. "Just ignore it," Amara said with a frown. "I always do."

Benjamin narrowed his eyes at the couple before gazing back into Amara's eyes. "That doesn't make it right."

"I know, but I'm used to it. Their opinions don't matter to me."

"I guess." He huffed and kissed the tip of her nose. "C'mon, let's go get some ice cream."

She giggled at him. "You read my mind."

The two got up, held hands and went walking through the park. They got in Benjamin's car in the parking lot and drove off to go find a Dairy Queen. When they found one, Amara ordered a big banana split while Benjamin got a small chocolate chip Blizzard.

They found a booth in the restaurant and got to eating. Benjamin, however, started noticing a sweet, intoxicating smell coming from Amara. He also noticed that the other patrons were sniffing the air.

"Shit. Amara, your spray is wearing off," Benjamin warned.

Amara rolled her eyes, took out her anti-scent spray and sprayed herself. Benjamin sniffed the air and realized he couldn't smell her any more.

"You'd think that crap would last longer than eight hours," he said.

"Yeah, well, it was only twenty five bucks and it was the only kind we had at the store," Amara said. "I'm just lucky Mr. Shaw was smart enough to think of the idea."

"Yeah," Benjamin said with a frown.

Amara eyed him. "Sorry for bringing him up."

"Oh no, it's fine. I just...you know, wish you didn't have a crush on the guy."

Amara shrugged as she took a bite of banana. "I know. Dakota isn't happy with my decision, though."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she wants me to be with Mr. Shaw for some reason."

"Did she say why?"

"Because he's been nicer to me than you, and some other reason she can't seem to place."

Benjamin chuckled and took a bite of his Blizzard. "Well, I plan on being nice to you from now on."

"Good."

Benjamin watched Amara dig into her banana split and he sighed. "I can't understand how you stay so skinny with all the junk food that you eat."

"Good genes, I guess? My father had a bottomless pit for a stomach, too." Amara sighed and looked out the window. "I miss him. And my mom. And my old pack."

Benjamin held out his hand and Amara took it. "I think they'd be proud of you, you know?"

"I hope you're right."

Benjamin rubbed his thumb in her knuckles, brought up her hand and kissed it before letting go and going back to his ice cream.

Once they were done eating, Benjamin got a text from his father.

_All preparations are complete._

Benjamin smirked and texted a response.

_Should I bring her home?_

Benjamin grabbed their trash and got up to throw it away. His phone beeped and he looked at it.

_Yes but keep her in her room. Did you guys have dinner?_

He sighed and typed in an answer before sending it.

_She's been eating practically all day, but yeah. We had dinner and we just finished dessert._

Benjamin put the phone away and grabbed Amara's hand before they headed out. By the time they got home, it was dark out. They left the car and Benjamin made Amara shut her eyes before going into the house. He noticed some very nice decorations were hung and he smiled. This was going to be the best birthday party ever.

Benjamin escorted her to her room and they plopped on her bed to watch some TV. Amara cuddled up next to him, resting her head on his chest. After a while, he noticed that Amara had fallen asleep in his arms and he smiled, kissing her forehead. He realized he was tired too and soon he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Amara slowly woke up in Benjamin's arms and she smiled gently, looking up at him. He was still fast asleep. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and he began to stir.

"Good morning," she said.

"Mmm, good morning," he replied.

Suddenly he started sniffing the air and his eyes opened widely to reveal black irises.

"Crap!" she said before getting off the bed. "Where did I put my damn spray?!"

Benjamin growled and looked at her with a devious smile. "Mine!" he shouted.

Amara quickly looked around for her spray and spotted it on her desk. She went to grab it but Benjamin pulled her to him and took in her scent deeply.

"Mate?" he asked.

 _"No! He's not our mate! Get him off!"_ Dakota yelled.

"No, Benjamin. I'm not your mate, you need to let go " Amara urged.

"But you smell like our mate," he growled, taking her head in his hands before placing his lips on hers hungrily.

As much as Amara wanted to kiss him, she had to stop him. She pushed him away with all her strength and grabbed the spray. He charged at her and she sprayed herself vigorously. Abruptly Benjamin stopped in his tracks and his eyes turned back to violet. He blinked and looked around on confusion.

"What just happened?" he asked.

Amara sighed and put the spray down. "You got a whiff of my scent and kissed me and asked if I was your mate."

The door burst open to reveal Gabriel. "What happened? I heard shouting," he said.

Amara lowered her gaze. "My spray wore off and Benjamin, he got affected by my scent. He's fine now, though."

Benjamin bowed his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Amara."

Amara kissed his cheek. "It wasn't your fault."

Gabriek sighed in relief. "How long does that spray last?"

"Eight hours."

"We're gonna have to get you something better. Which is why I got in contact with some witches. They're brewing up something that'll help but it won't be here until Friday," Gabriel mentioned.

"Okay," Amara acknowledged. "I guess I can last until then."

"How much is left of your spray?"

Amara grabbed the bottle and looked. "Crap. This stuff gets used up fast. About half of it is left."

"I'm gonna go out and buy you some more," Gabriel said. "It's at Hot Topic, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Gabriel." Gabriel nodded and left the room. Amara turned back to Benjamin who looked sad. "What's wrong?"

"Jackson and I were really hoping you were our mate," he said in a forlorn voice. "Now some other guy is gonna have to be with you and..." he paused and growled.

Amara cupped his cheeks and gave him a soft smile. "Hey. That probably won't be for a while, Ben. Until then, we can...still, you know, continue this."

"I wanted our first kiss to be special but I ruined it."

"It's not your fault. Besides," she said, getting closer to his face. "You could always make our second one special."

Benjamin smiled and nodded. "I could."

Amara looked down at his lips. She really wanted another taste of him, so she let go of him, walked to the door and closed it, locking it and looking at Benjamin with a sultry look.

"What are you doing?" he asked with a smirk.

Amara walked up to him and let their lips barely touch. "Making sure we won't be disturbed."

Benjamin cupped her face. "Are you sure?"

Amara nodded before pressing her lips to his. Dakota whimpered inside her head but she ignored her wolf as she flung her arms around Benjamin's neck. He lifted her up in his arms and she hooked her ankles around him before he brought her to the bed, kissing her deeply. He placed her back on the bed and he hovered over her before setting himself on top of her. Amara slipped her tongue into his mouth and he growled against her lips, swiveling his tongue with hers.

Moans escaped Amara's throat, thoroughly enjoying his kissing. Dakota kept urging her to stop but Amara did her best to drown out her wolf. It was very distracting.

 _"Amara, stop! He's not our mate!"_ Dakota growled.

 _"So what?"_ Amara said. _"Just let me have this, please."_

_"But Mr. Shaw, he-"_

_"Nothing will ever happen with Mr. Shaw!"_

_"But he might be our mate. That's what I couldn't place, but now, I-"_

_"Just shut up, Dakota! I need this!"_

Dakota whimpered and retreated into the back of Amara's mind. Finally.

* * *

After a full blown make-out session with Benjamin, he left the room so Amara could change clothes and get ready for her party. She showered, put on make up, dried and straightened her hair, then dressed in a blue silk blouse, black jeggings and black high heels. She applied more anti-scent spray to herself before exiting the bedroom.

As she descended the stairs, Amara stared at all the decorations. It was a full blow out of red and white ribbons and balloons. She even noticed some caterers. The Forresters really went all out for her birthday party. Granted, an eighteenth birthday was always a big deal but she didn't think they'd go this far.

Amara snuck a peek into the kitchen and gasped. There was food _everywhere._ She couldn't believe it.

 _"Oh my Goddess, they have mini pancakes!"_ she thought.

Suddenly she was pulled from the kitchen by Sonya. "Now now, you gotta wait to eat," she said.

Amara groaned with a whine. "But I'm hungry."

Sonya giggled. "We have appetizers in the ball room along with your guests."

Amara blinked. "Guests? What guests?"

"The whole pack."

Amara's eyes went wide. "How the...what the...huh?!"

Sonya laughed loudly as she hooked her arm with Amara's to walk. "Gabriel ordered the whole pack to attend, including your Mr. Shaw," she said with a wink.

"He's not mine, Sonya."

"Oh come now, I saw the way you two looked at each other at dinner on Tuesday."

"But Benjamin and I are...kinda dating now."

Sonya sighed. "I know, but I think you like Mr. Shaw more."

Amara rolled her eyes and laughed it off. When they got to the ball room, she was surprised at how packed it was. There was a table full of gifts and she raised a eyebrow.

 _"Who the hell got me all those presents?"_ she asked herself.

Janine collided into Amara and hugged her tightly. "Happy birthday, sis!"

Amara cackled loudly, wrapping her arms around Janine. "Thanks."

Amara's nostrils suddenly picked up a scent. It smelled like cinnamon and ginger...and it was strong.

"Do you smell that?" Amara asked.

"Smell what?"

Amara let go of Janine and started following the scent. "It smells so good, what the hell is it?"

"Wait, Amara..." Janine said with a confused look, then she suddenly smiled. "I bet it's your mate's scent!"

Amara immediately stopped in her tracks. "Oh hell," she said.

"What?"

"I don't really want to know when my mate is," Amara explained. "But I kinda have to know so we can...mate and then my scent won't make boys go nuts."

"Then look for him but don't approach him. Besides, he won't know it's you because you don't have a scent right now."

Amara nodded. "There's so many wolves here, I can't seem to follow the trail."

Amara sniffed the air once more. Her mate's scent was being overwhelmed by everyone else. Dakota was pacing back in forth in her mind, howling for joy at this new development.

 _"Find him! Find our mate!"_ Dakota urged.

 _"I'm trying,"_ Amara growled.

Amara kept trying to pick up the scent but the trail went cold. She worked her way through the crowd, doubling back to catch the scent again, but she couldn't find it again.

"It's gone," Amara said with a pout.

"Nonsense. You'll pick it up again," Janine assured her.

"Oh look, it's Cursed," someone said.

Amara rolled her eyes and turned around to see Debra from her basketball team. The girl looked like a dolled up prostitute. Amara made a fake smile and walked up to her.

"Hello, Debra," she said with a low, almost inaudible growl.

"I don't understand why I had to be here," Debra said with a scoff.

Amara shrugged. "Honestly? Neither do I. But what the Alpha says goes. So, try to have a good time, I guess."

Amara walked away with a smirk. Kill them with passive aggressive kindness. That was her new motto.

As she made her way over to Janine, she caught that scent again. She looked around almost desperately, her wolf jumping around excitedly. Amara tried to calm her down but Dakota wasn't having any of it. She followed the scent again, Janine joining her side.

"You got it again?" Janine asked.

"Yeah. It's stronger than it was before. I think I'm...close..."

The crowd parted a little and Amara saw Mr. Shaw enjoying a glass of punch. He was enjoying himself with the other teachers from Red Blood High School. Her mouth went agape and her wolf howled happily.

 _"Mate!"_ Dakota yelled. _"I called it!"_

"...Oh crap," Amara said.

"What?" Janine asked.

Amara gulped and looked at Janine. "It's Mr. Shaw. He's my mate."


	12. The Birthday Party

Janine's mouth dropped. "What? Are you sure?" she asked Amara.

"Uh huh," Amara replied absentmindedly, not taking her eyes off Shaw.

 _"Oh crap, what do I do?"_ she asked herself.

 _"Go up to him and proclaim yourself as his mate!"_ Dakota demanded.

_"No, I can't! He won't know I'm his mate because he can't smell me. What if he doesn't believe me?"_

_"Well at least go talk to him!"_

Amara shook her head. "This isn't happening. This is bad."

"Are you serious, Amara?" Janine asked. "Your mate is the hottest teacher at our school!"

"Shh! Keep it down!" Amara hissed. "You want the whole pack to hear?"

* * *

Mr. Shaw was laughing at a joke Mr. Farley made. He took another sip of punch and his eyes drifted amongst the crowd. His eyes landed on Amara and he smiled. There was something different about her that he couldn't place. Whatever it was had Darragh in a tizzy.

 _"What's wrong with you?"_ Mr. Shaw asked.

 _"It's Amara. She seems different. More beautiful_ _,"_ Darragh replied.

_"I think that's the makeup_ _."_

_"No, it's not. It's something else."_

Mr. Shaw shook his head with a chuckle before taking another drink of his punch.

"So, Mr. Shaw," a woman named Miss Shannon said. "What part of Scotland are you from?"

"Glasgow," Mr. Shaw replied, looking at her.

"Ah, and how is it over there?"

"It's beautiful."

 _"Go over there and talk to Amara!"_ Darragh commanded.

 _"Why? She's busy enjoying herself,"_ Shaw replied.

_"She's still looking at you."_

Mr. Shaw glanced over and sure enough, Amara was still looking at him, although she had a deer in the headlights look. What was going on with her?

"Excuse me, Miss Shannon," Shaw said before walking towards Amara.

* * *

 _"Oh crap, he's coming over. Crap crap crap! What do I do?!"_ Amara thought.

 _"Tell him he's your mate!"_ Dakota urged.

_"Hell no! I'm not doing that!"_

Mr. Shaw closed in on her with a bright smile. "Hello, Amara."

"Um...hi," she uttered sheepishly.

Mr. Shaw glanced at Janine. "Hello, Janine."

"Hi, Mr. Shaw," she said with a grin.

Mr. Shaw gazed back at Amara. "You seem different today. Did you cut your hair?"

Amara shook her head. "No, um, I didn't. Um...well..."

"Well what?"

Janine nudged Amara's ribs. "Amara, don't you have something to tell him?" she asked.

Amara gave Janine a bewildered look which was followed by an "I'm going to kill you" expression. She looked back at Mr. Shaw, her cheeks blushing red.

"Um...you look nice," she sputtered out.

"Thank you. So do you," Mr. Shaw said with another smile.

Music started playing in the ball room and Amara groaned. She _hated_ dancing. And it was a slow song, too. Amara looked around at everyone and sighed as they started picking partners. Benjamin came bounding up to her with a scowl towards Mr. Shaw.

"Hey, wanna dance?" Benjamin asked Amara.

She rolled her eyes. "You know I hate dancing."

Benjamin chuckled and grabbed her hand. "Oh c'mon, it won't kill you," he said before dragging her on the dance floor.

"Benjamin, I-"

He pulled her close. "Just one dance."

Amara rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said, putting her arms around his shoulders.

Benjamin held her at the waist with a smile. "I liked kissing you earlier."

Amara giggled a bit. "Me too."

 _"Oh shut up. You need to tell him you're off limits,"_ Dakota said.

 _"Dakota, I can't. Mr. Shaw is my damn teacher,"_ Amara argued.

 _"If you don't tell him, I will_ _never forgive you."_

_"Alright, I'll tell him. Just not now, okay?"_

Dakota growled inside Amara's head and Amara rolled her eyes.

"Can I kiss you again? Right now?" Benjamin asked.

Amara eyed Mr. Shaw who was watching them and she shook her head. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because people are watching."

Benjamin narrowed his eyes. "You mean Mr. Shaw is watching."

Amara sighed. "That's not who I meant."

"But he is watching."

Amara looked at Mr. Shaw again who had somewhat of a longing expression on his face. Was he still attracted to her even without her scent?

 _"Duh!"_ Dakota said.

 _"Dakota..."_ Amara scolded.

_"He probably has an inkling that we're his mate even without our scent."_

_"I highly doubt that."_

* * *

Mr. Shaw kept his eyes narrowed as he watched Benjamin and Amara dance.

 _"Go ask to cut in_ _,"_ Darragh suggested.

 _"I'm not going to do that,'_ Mr. Shaw replied.

_"Rory, you gotta do something. I feel a stronger pull to her, don't you? Doesn't this feel familiar to you?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"The pull feels like a mate pull."_

Mr. Shaw rolled his eyes. _"Oh please. You're just saying that because of her scent."_

_"She doesn't have a scent right now, though."_

Mr. Shaw considered this as he took another drink of punch. _"That's gotta be the after effect or something. Besides, if she was our mate, she would know based on our scent and she would've said something."_

_"Oh really? I have a feeling she wouldn't because of Benjamin."_

Mr. Shaw blinked at this realization. _"What if you're wrong?"_

 _"I'm rarely wrong. Now go ask her to dance and find out_ _the truth."_

_"No! Dancing with a student is-"_

"Mr. Shaw?"

In his argument, Mr. Shaw failed to realize Janine was standing right in front of him. "Oh, sorry. Was having a...debate with my wolf."

"Oh. Well, I know how that goes," Janine said, looking out at the dance floor. "I can't believe she's with Benjamin."

Mr. Shaw blinked. "Why?"

"He used to be really mean to her. In fact, have you seen the locker that has the word "cursed" written on it?"

Mr. Shaw clicked his tongue in irritation. "Yes? I take it that's Amara's locker."

"Yes. Benny is the one who wrote that on there."

Mr. Shaw's eyes narrowed. "So why is she with him?" he hissed.

"I guess he apologized and she eventually forgave him, I dunno." Janine looked at Mr. Shaw with a smirk. "You don't approve?"

Shaw cleared his throat and relaxed his features. "It's not my place to say."

"Oh, but it is!"

Mr. Shaw cocked an eye at her. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see," she said with a wink. "In the mean time, you should go cut in."

Mr. Shaw chuckled. "No, I really shouldn't be seen dancing with a student."

"But you're not a teacher and she's not a student. She's the birthday girl and you are a guest."

Mr. Shaw chuckled. "There's no getting around that, but it would look, well...quoting you, so scandalous."

Janine giggled. "I was only kidding when I said that."

"Yeah but it's not any less true."

Janine sighed. "Okay, but you're missing out."

Mr. Shaw watched Janine walk away and he wondered what she could mean.

* * *

After dancing with Benjamin, Amara made her way to the table that had all the presents. She started poking at them. Some were big, some were small. There was one particular box she saw that she grabbed. It was from Mr. Shaw and she smiled.

 _"How many presents is that man gonna buy me?"_ she asked herself.

Sonya came up and smacked Anara's hand playfully. "No opening presents yet!" she laughed.

Amara giggled and put the wrapped gift down. "I wasn't going to open it."

"Uh huh."

"I swear I wasn't."

Sonya laughed again then sighed. "I'm surprised you haven't eaten all the appetizers from the caterers yet."

Amara quirked her mouth to the side. "I'm not hungry."

This caused a frown to appear on Sonya's face. "What's wrong? Are you not enjoying the party?"

Amara bowed her head. "I am, I just..."

"Just what?"

Amara didn't know what to tell Sonya. Could she talk about this whole mate thing with her? Probably not. Amara decided only Janine should know, but Amara still had questions.

"Sonya, what will happen with Benjamin and I once I find my mate?" Amara asked. "I mean, what will it be like?"

Sonya's eyes lit up. "Oh, it'll be the most pure and wonderful thing in the world, Amara. You'll not love anyone like you love a mate. It's absolute bliss and you will not be happier with anyone like you're happy with a mate."

Amara frowned. "That's what I'm afraid of."

Benjamin came jogging up to them and kissed his mother on the cheek. "Hi, Mom."

"Hello, Benjamin. What's up?" Sonya asked.

"Nothing. Just wanted to say hi to my two best girls."

Amara snickered and Sonya smiled. "Oh, that's so sweet."

Amara blushed and Benjamin smiled, kissing her cheek. "Come on, let's go get some food."

Amara placed the gift from Mr. Shaw down and walked with Benjamin in search of appetizers. Even though she was too distraught for hunger, she decided to fake it and eat food anyway. However, Benjamin seemed to notice how slow she was eating and he gave her a sad look.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Amara shook her head. "Nothing," she replied, taking a bite of a mini quiche.

"Bull. I know when something is wrong, Amara. You're not eating like a crazy person so what's going on?"

Amara wobbled her eyes with incredulity. "Nothing!" she barked with a mouth full of food.

Benjamin was about to say something else when Gabriel announced that it was time for the birthday cake. Amara finished the mini quiche, walked to Gabriel and went in front of a huge red, orange, black and white three tiered cake with a Super Saiyan Goku figurine on the top. She grinned and kissed Gabriel and Sobya, thanking them for the DBZ themed cake. Amara blew out the candles after making a wish, people clapped, then a caterer started cutting out slices. Amara got the first piece.

She went out on the patio to eat, needing some fresh air. She looked out at the maze and sighed. Amara really wished she could go get lost in it right now. She had a lot to think about, like the fact that Mr. Shaw was her mate. What the hell was she supposed to do about that? As she took a bite of cake, she tried to think of ways to avoid him. Maybe she could switch classes. Or schools. No, there was only two twelfth grade math teachers and she hated the other one. She almost wished Mrs. Johnson would come back.

Almost.

And there was only one high school. Dammit, why did she have to meet Mr. Shaw? Why did he have to be her teacher?

 _"Maybe he could take that elementary job so we can be with him,"_ Dakota asked.

 _"...I could, but that would be wrong of me. I can't ask him to leave his job because I'm his mate. That would be wrong,"_ Amara argued. _"And what about Benjamin?"_

_"What about him?"_

_"I don't want to hurt him."_

_"But he's hurt you."_

_"Yes but he's wanting to make amends."_

_"So what?_ _!"_ Dakota growled. _"He's made your life hell!"_

_"I know, but-"_

_"But nothing! I don't forgive him and neither should you!"_

_"I never said I forgive him."_

_"Then why are you with him?!"_

"Amara?"

Amara turned to see Gabriel standing outside with her. "Um, yes?" she said.

"It's time to open your gifts."

"Okay."

Gabriel frowned. "Amara, is something wrong?"

Amara shook her head. "No. Just needed some fresh air."

Gabriel chuckled and walked to her. "Amara, you can tell me. I know something is wrong."

Amara sighed, taking a bite of cake. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Why not?" Gabriel asked with concern.

"I just don't," she said, horking down her cake. "I'll come open my presents now."

She walked by Gabriel into the ball room and headed straight for the presents. She started opening them one by one and was happy with each gift. She got cash, clothes, books, a few pieces of jewelry, a few other items...then she got to Mr. Shaw's present and she smiled brightly when she opened it. It was a James Hetfield Funko Pop! figurine.

"Oh, Mr. Shaw..." she said, looking at him happily. "Thank you."

Mr. Shaw nodded his head and Amara put the gift back on the table. She grabbed the last gift which was an envelope. When she opened it, she gasped, screamed and jumped up and down for joy.

"What is it?" some people asked.

"Two VIP tickets and backstage passes to go see Metallica in concert!" she shrieked with happiness.

People started laughing and Amara looked at the card inside. It was from Sonya and Gabriel. She went and hugged them both.

"Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!" she belted out.

"You're welcome," Gabriel said, wrapping an arm around her. "Now you get to choose who gets to go with you."

Amara bit her lip, her eyes immediately going to Mr. Shaw. He really looked like he wanted to go. He was, after all, a Metallica fan as well.

"I...um..." she said before pausing.

"You could take Mr. Shaw," Sonya whispered. "He's a fan, too."

Amara bit her lip more, looking apprehensive. "But Sonya, it would be innapropriate. And that would piss Benjamin off," she whispered.

"Why would it piss Benjamin off?" she whispered back.

"Oh, hell..." she said, sighing. "Because he knows I like Mr. Shaw," she hissed quietly.

"Oh, so you finally admit it."

Amara rolled her eyes. "Can I think about who I want to go with?" she asked.

"Of course," Sonya said. "You've got a week to decide."

"How did you guys even get these? I thought all their concerts were sold out?"

"I pulled some strings," Gabriel said with a smirk.

Amara hugged them both again and smiled. "Well, thank you! I'm going to love going to see them!"

After the presents were put back on the table, it was time for the real party to begin. Amara ran upstairs to put on her black bikini so she could go swimming with some of the other guests. She grabbed her anti-scent spray just in case and grabbed a towel before heading down. When she got to the indoor pool she noticed it was already in full swing. She plopped her towel and spray down on a chair, ran to the pool and did a cannon ball into the water. When she surfaced, she noticed no unmated males were coming after her. Oh good.

She swam around the deep end a bit, still eyeing people cautiously just in case. Just as she was doing that, she saw Mr. Shaw walk in the pool area in swimming trunks and nothing else.

 _"Oh dear Goddess..."_ Amara thought.

 _"Our mate is hot,"_ Dakota said.

Amara couldn't disagree with our wolf there. She ducked under the water and swam around for a bit before surfacing. Mr. Shaw was at the shallow end and was having a good time swimming. He looked like a duck to water. Mr. Shaw spotted her and gave her a small wave. She waved back at him and dove under again. As she resurfaced she saw Shaw was closing in and she started to panic on the inside.

 _"Crap, he's coming over. What do I do?"_ she asked herself.

 _"Tell him we're his mate! I want to meet his wolf!"_ Dakota yelled excitedly.

When Mr. Shaw got close enough, he stopped and smiled at her. She saw his hair was actually longer than she suspected and it was dripping wet, his red curls framing around his face.

"Hello, Amara. Happy birthday," he said to her.

"Hello and thank you," she replied.

"So, Metallica tickets, huh?"

Amara chuckled with a nod. "Yeah, I'm very excited."

Shaw smirked at her and swam around her. "Have you decided who you're going to bring with?"

"Not yet. Metallica fans are slim pickins in our pack."

"I see. Well, I hope you find someone. I'm very jealous."

Amara giggled. "Yes, I imagine you would be."

The two looked at each other and swam around one another, Amara not daring to get close to him. Mr. Shaw sniffed at her and blinked.

"Is that anti-scent spray water proof? I can't smell you," he observed.

"Yeah, I think it's water proof."

"Good. Wouldn't want your pool party to be spoiled."

Amara bit her lip. "Yeah..."

Mr. Shaw tilted his head to one side as he looked at her. "Amara, are you okay?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

"I dunno. You seem nervous."

"Me? Nervous? Noooo, I'm not nervous."

"You sure?" he asked, swimming closer with a devious smirk. "Because I think you're worried about being splashed."

Amara crinkled up her face in confusion. "Splashed?"

Suddenly Mr. Shaw started smacking the water at her and she did, in fact, get splashed. She gasped and narrowed her eyes playfully.

"Oh, you little..."

Amara splashed at him and soon they were in a splashing match.


	13. The Pool

Amara and Mr. Shaw laughed and sputtered water as they splashed each other. Amara swam away from him but he followed her, still splashing at her. She crawled out of the pool and started running around, giggling. He chased after her out of the pool. Amara ran out of the indoor pool area and up the stairs, hearing foot steps behind her.

"I'm gonna get you!" Mr. Shaw laughed.

"Not on your life, Shaw!" she barked out. Amara ran into Benjamin and she giggled, enjoying that he was in nothing but his swim trunks. "Oops, sorry."

Benjamin looked at her in shock then looked past her at Mr. Shaw. His eyes narrowed at him and Amara rolled her eyes. The jealousy was strong with this one.

"Amara, what were you both doing?" Benjamin asked defensively.

"Just fooling around," Amara replied.

"Uh huh," Benjamin said, looking at Mr. Shaw with a growl.

"Hey, don't be so defensive," Amara said. "We were just-"

"Fooling around."

Amara scoffed at Benjamin. "Yeah. So don't growl at him."

"Oh, it's alright, Amara," Mr. Shaw said. "A little growl never scared me off."

Benjamin brushed past Amara to stand up to Mr. Shaw. "Do I have to do more than growl, then?"

"You'll have to do plenty more than that," Mr. Shaw snarled.

Amara rolled her eyes again and got in between them, being careful not to touch Mr. Shaw. "Now boys, you should not be fighting."

"We're not fighting," Mr. Shaw corrected. "We're having a discussion."

"Yeah. A discussion on how I best kick his ass," Benjamin added. "You need to stay away from my girl, Shaw."

"I don't need to stay away from anybody. That's her decision."

Amara smiled at Mr. Shaw, admiring how he looked just then. He looked like the devil in disguise and it really turned her on. Then there was Benjamin, being protective and jealous. Also a turn on. Amara snickered at them both and she walked away.

"Where are you going?" Benjamin asked.

"Back to the pool. I have swimming to do."

The pitter patter of feet followed her and she smiled as she turned to look at both her boyfriend and her mate. Suddenly an idea popped into her head. A devious one.

"I also have to ask one of you a question."

"Yes?" both the men said.

Amara stopped, turned and faced them. "I've decided that one of you is going to go to the Metallica concert with me."

Both Mr. Shaw and Benjamin's eyes lit up, then they looked at each other competitively. "Wait, why is he a choice?" Benjamin asked.

"Because he's a Metallica fan," Amara replied.

Benjamin growled while Mr. Shaw smiled. "Actually, I wouldn't mind going at all. I've always wanted to meet James Hetfield," Shaw commented.

"James who?" Benjamin inquired with confusion.

Mr. Shaw chuckled. "See, this is why I'm obviously the better candidate to accompany you, Amara."

Amara smirked at Mr. Shaw's confidence. "You really want to go despite how scandalous it would look going with a student?"

"It's Metallica!" Mr. Shaw exclaimed. "Need I say more?"

"Fair point, Mr. Shaw."

 _"What are you doing?"_ Dakota asked suspiciously.

 _"I'm enjoying myself,"_ Amara replied in her head. _"We're gonna make this rivalry into a game."_

_"But why? Mr. Shaw is the obvious choice here."_

_"You say that because you're biased."_

Dakota growled and receded, making Amara cackle loudly in her head. This was going to be fun.

"So what are the terms?" Benjamin asked, crossing his arms. "How are you going to choose?"

"We're gonna play a little game," she said, brushing a finger up Benjamin's chest as she walked up to him. "Whoever can follow me through the maze wins."

Benjamin chuckled. "That'll be easy."

"Not without my scent, it won't."

Benjamin's smile faltered. "Oh yeah."

Amara grinned. "But we'll play that game later. I want to go back to swimming."

Amara left the boys to their own devices and walked down the hall to the stairs.

* * *

Mr. Shaw watched Amara walk away, admiring her rump in her bikini. She wasn't a minor anymore so he could at least allow himself that. He walked after her immediately and went back down the stairs after her but Benjamin smushed past him and ran to her, picking her up in his arms. Mr. Shaw immediately let a low growl emanate from his chest out of jealousy. He really wanted to go to that concert with her.

 _"You better win the maze run,"_ Darragh warned.

 _"Oh, I will,"_ Mr. Shaw assured his wolf.

_"How are you so confident in that?"_

_"I have a plan."_

Mr. Shaw watched the couple in the water and his eyes burned with fury when he saw them kiss. Still, he made himself pull back on the reins. Amara was still his student. Even though what his wolf said to him earlier was getting to him, he had to maintain propriety and decorum. He jumped into the water and went swimming around, losing himself to his thoughts.

There was no denying it now that he wanted Amara. It was stronger than before, and yes, there was a familiar pull tugging at him when it came to her. Maybe Darragh was right. Maybe she was his mate. But why wouldn't she say anything about it to him?

Oh yeah. She didn't want a mate.

This saddened him. To be rejected once was bad enough, but to be rejected a second time? That would probably kill him.

Besides that, Amara seemed happy with Benjamin, despite how mean he'd been to Amara in the past. That whole thing about Amara's locker was especially troubling to Mr. Shaw.

Mr. Shaw pulled himself from the water and stood up, shaking the water off his body. He turned to see some girls ogling him and he laughed a little before looking at Amara who was staring at him. He smiled and lowered his gaze to the water. Mr. Shaw knew he was good to look at, but to have her look at him like that made him blush a little. He went to sit down in a pool chair and grabbed his towel, drying himself off.

"Hello, Mr. Shaw," a girl said.

Mr. Shaw looked up to see Debra and he smiled. "Hello, Debra. How are you?"

"I'm good. Real good," she said with a lustful smile.

 _"Oh great,"_ Darragh said. _"Another admirer."_

Mr. Shaw chuckled and stood up. "Is there something I can do for you, Debra?"

"Oh yes, you most certainly can," Debra giggled. "I was wondering if you'd like to swim with me?"

Mr. Shaw sighed. "Actually I was gonna take a break from that."

Debra pouted. "Oh come now, you don't look like you need a break at all."

"Well, I do," Mr. Shaw replied.

 _"She's not taking the hint,"_ Darragh said.

 _"No kidding_ _,"_ Mr. Shaw replied.

Debra smiled and touched Shaw's arm affectionately but then a hand slapped on Debra's arm and yanked her away. Mr. Shaw was shocked to see that it was Amara who was now dragging Debra off and tossing her into the pool. Debra resurfaced after falling in and she sputtered, rubbing her face and glaring up at Amara.

"What the hell, Cursed?!" Debra snapped. "What was that for?!"

"Keep your filthy paws off of him!" Amara snarled loudly.

Everyone looked at Amara, gasping and talking amongst themselves about what had just occurred. Mr. Shaw was very confused, and even more so when Amara turned to him, revealing black irises. Her wolf was coming out. He walked up to her and cocked his head.

"Amara, are you okay?" he asked.

She was snarling and breathing heavily, pacing back and forth by the pool. "She was touching you!" she snapped.

Mr. Shaw blinked. "Um, okay?"

 _"Why is she being so aggressive?"_ Mr. Shaw thought.

 _"She's acting like a mate protecting her other half, Rory. Isn't that proof enough?"_ Darragh asked.

Mr. Shaw considered this but shook his head. There was no way it was true. "Amara, it's okay. Just calm down, alright?"

Just then Debra came out of the pool and grabbed Amara by the hair. Amara growled and swirled her arm with Debra's, causing Debra to let go and sink to the floor on one knee as Amara held her arm in place.

"Ow, let go!" Debra yelled.

"Then don't grab my hair!" Amara shouted.

Mr. Shaw went to intervene but Janine came quickly and made Amara let go. Debra got up and favored her arm as two adults came running over to comfort her. Mr. Shaw assumed they were Debra's parents. The woman glared at Amara.

"Don't ever touch my daughter again!" the woman snarled.

"She started it!" Amara yelled.

Mr. Shaw blinked a few times while Sonya and Gabriel headed over. What the heck did Amara mean that Debra started it?

"What's going on here?" Gabriel demanded.

"Debra was touching Mr. Shaw," Janine explained. "Amara didn't like that."

"You need to keep Cursed on a leash, Alpha!" Debra snapped.

Alpha Gabriel growled and took a step toward Debra. "Do not call her that again!" he shouted in his alpha tone.

"Yes, Alpha," Debra submitted lowly.

"And I suggest your daughter learn to keep her hands to herself!"

"Yes, Alpha," the parents said.

"Good. You can leave the party now," Gabriel commanded.

Debra and her parents left the pool area and people were still talking amongst themselves. Gabriel crossed his arms and eyed Amara. "You wanna explain what that was all about?"

Amara lowered her gaze. "Not really."

Benjamin came up to them and put his arm around Amara. "What was that all about?"

"It's nothing!" Amara snapped, getting out of their grasp and walking out of the pool area.

Mr. Shaw watched her go with a sad look. He was very confused. Gabriel and Sonya followed after her.

* * *

Amara ran to her room and locked the door behind her.

 _"What the hell was that, Dakota?!"_ Amara snapped in her head.

 _"She was touching our mate!"_ Dakota snapped back.

_"That doesn't mean you get to take over and attack someone!"_

There was a knock on the door. "Amara? Honey? Can we talk, please?" Sonya asked.

"No! Everything's fine!" Amara shouted.

"Amara, please open the door," Gabriel said.

Amara sighed and unlocked the door. Gabriel and Sonya walked in and closed the door. "Okay, now..." Gabriel said, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "What happened down there?"

"Nothing. Just...Dakota took over," Amara said, staring at her feet.

"Why?"

"I dunno."

Gabriel rubbed his face with irritation in his eyes. "Amara."

Amara kept her gaze averted to the floor. "...It's nothing. Really. She just went out of control, that's all."

"That's all?!" Gabriel yelled, standing up. "You threw a girl into a pool for touching Mr. Shaw! What the hell is going on?!"

"Nothing!" Amara shouted. "I don't want to talk about it!"

"Amara!"

Sonya pressed a hand to Gabriel's chest. "Keep calm, my love," she said. "Let me talk to her."

Gabriel put his hand on Sonya's hand and sighed. "Alright, alright," he said before walking out of the room.

Sonya approached Amara and put a hand on Amara's shoulder. "Sweetheart, please tell me why Dakota tossed Debra into the pool."

Amara frowned and looked into Sonya's face. Amara knew she could trust her surrogate mother with this, so she might as well tell her. She took a deep breath in and let it out slowly.

"Mr. Shaw is my mate."

Sonya gasped. "He is?!" she asked excitedly. "Oh, this is wonderful!"

"It is?" Amara asked with a cocked brow.

Sonya clapped her hands together. "Yes! Does he know?"

Amara shook her head. "No."

"Well you better go tell him!"

Amara shook her head again. "I'd rather not."

"Why?"

Amara blew a raspberry. "He's my teacher. And then there's Benjamin to worry about. I want to keep this a secret, at least for now."

Sonya sat on the bed with a frown. "But Amara, what about your scent? What are you going to do about that?"

"The same thing I've been doing. Cover it up."

Sonya shook her head. "I don't think this is a good idea."

Amara shrugged. "It's my decision, you let me worry about whether or not it's a good idea."

A chuckle escaped Sonya. "This is going to bite you in the ass."

"Well, like I said, you let me worry about that."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Just Janine."

Sonya nodded. "What should we tell Gabriel?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He can't know about this either."

"But he's the Alpha. What am I supposed to tell him?"

"Tell him I swore you to secrecy or tell him I didn't tell you diddly squat."

Sonya raised a brow with intrigue. "You suggest I lie to my husband?"

"Up to you."

Sonya chuckled and stood up. "Oh, Amara..."

"What?"

"You're just so funny sometimes. But fine, I won't tell anyone about this, okay?"

"Thank you," Amara said.

Sonya went and hugged Amara. "You're welcome. Now, shall we go back down to the party?"

Amara nodded. "Okay."

The two females left the room and met Gabriel downstairs. He was waiting impatiently at the foot of the stairs.

"Well?" he said.

Sonya confronted him first. "I've been sworn to secrecy. I cannot tell anyone what she told me."

Gabriel's mouth dropped. "But Sonya, I-"

Sonya put a finger to Gabriel's lips. "Do you trust me?" she asked.

"You know I do," he said softly.

"Then let me just say that whatever is going on with Amara will resolve itself soon, okay?"

Gabriel huffed in resignation. "Okay."

Amara walked past the couple to the pool room, the precious incident now seemingly forgotten...except by Benjamin. He was very curious as to why Amara threw Debra into the pool but Amara told him to drop the subject and just kissed him to make sure he did. He stopped asking after that.

"Are we still doing that maze run?" he asked her. "For who gets to go with you to that Metallica concert?"

Amara nodded, kissing his cheek. "Yes, although I'm not too sure why you'd wanna go," she teased. "You don't even like Metallica."

"I'll pretend to like them for you," he said, holding her in his arms.

"Oh really?" she whispered.

"Uh huh."

Amara giggled and kissed him softly. "What else would you do for me, hmm?"

"I'll make a list," Benjamin said before stroking her black hair.

Amara threw her head back and cackled. "A list, huh? Okay. I look forward to reading your list."

They kissed again before Amara went and jumped into the pool.


	14. The Maze

It was dark and cold now, and after the party was over, Mr. Shaw stayed so he and Benjamin could compete on who would get to go with Amara to the Metallica concert that upcoming weekend. He had dressed back in his black suit, dress shoes and coat jacket, which was not the most convenient attire for what he was about to do but it would have to suffice. He waited for Benjamin and Amara to come back downstairs after dressing into regular clothes.

When they came down, Benjamin was in a black jacket, orange sweatshirt and blue jeans while Amara was dressed in a blue jacket, black turtleneck and blue jeggings. Both had tennis shoes on. Amara led them out to the maze and she smiled at them both.

"Okay, here are the rules. I'm going to go hide. Two minutes after I go in, you both have to try and find me," she explained. "Whoever finds me first wins. Any questions?"

Mr. Shaw rubbed the back of his neck. "I feel like I'm at a slight disadvantage here. Doesn't Benjamin know this maze very well? I've only been through it once...sort of."

"That's okay. Benjamin never favored exploring it much," Amara said, winking at Shaw.

Benjamin sighed. "Now I wish I had."

"Okay, so," Amara clapped her hands once. "Ready?"

"Yes," both the men said.

"Okay. Gabriel, start the clock."

Gabriel clicked his watch and Amara went running into the maze.

"Damn, she's fast," Mr. Shaw commented.

"Yeah, you should see her wolf run. She's actually the fastest in our pack," Gabriel brought up.

Mr. Shaw blinked in awe. "But she has such a big wolf."

"I know. I've been doing some research on black wolves lately," Gabriel said, crossing his arms. "Apparently, they tend to have superior abilities. She's a strong, fast wolf. Smart, cunning, and quite ruthless in a fight."

"So I've seen."

"I'll never quite understand how she escaped her old pack territory in human form."

"Wait a minute...that happened _before_ her first shift?"

"Oh yeah, just a week before." Gabriel let out a soft chuckle. "Like I said, superior abilities."

Mr. Shaw was in awe of Amara even moreso at that point. He looked at the maze with wide eyes. How could a twelve-year-old girl outrun a bunch of wolves, he wondered? After a while, Gabriel announced that the two minutes were up and both Shaw and Benjamin went running into the maze. Mr. Shaw got completely lost after a while and when he tried his best to sniff her out, he couldn't.

 _"Don't give up, Rory. We'll find her,"_ Darragh said.

 _"How?"_ Shaw asked.

_"The mate pull."_

Mr. Shaw rolled his eyes as he made a left, going into a dead end then doubling back. _"She's not our mate."_

_"I think she is. Why are you denying it?"_

_"Because it would be extraordinary if she was our mate and...I don't want to make her choose between Benjamin and me."_

_"Like you didn't make Skye choose between you and Malcolm?"_

Mr. Shaw stopped in his tracks. _"That was different. Skye was supposed to be my Luna."_

_"And yet you stepped down from your throne_ _."_

_"An Alpha cannot run a pack without a Luna, you know this. Now Malcolm has control over Oceans Howl Pack_ _and Skye is his Luna. Now everyone is happy."_

_"Everyone except us,"_ Darragh pointed out.

Rory Shaw growled and went back to walking. _"Why must you torture me with this?"_

_"Because it's true and I'll prove Amara is our mate. Go_ _right."_

Rory went right with a scoff. _"I don't see how this is going to help."_

_"It will. Make another right."_

Mr. Shaw sighed and did his best to humor his wolf, listening to his directions. It was useless but it's not like Rory knew where they were actually going. He still felt lost in the maze. Suddenly he made a left and he was shocked to find Amara was standing in front of him at a dead end. His icy blue eyes went wide when she looked at him with a smile.

"You found me," she said.

"...Yes, I did."

 _"You mean I did,"_ Darragh bragged.

 _"But...how?"_ Rory asked Darragh.

_"I told you. The mate pull."_

Shaw couldn't believe it. He just couldn't. It had to be dumb luck that he'd found Amara and that's what he was going to believe. Still...he approached Amara until he was within reach of her and he began to sniff her.

"What are you doing?" Amara asked in confusion.

There was the faintest scent of cucumbers and melons on her, but it was so weak, Mr. Shaw wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not. It was still so sweet, though.

"...I can smell you," he said.

Amara's eyes went wide. "Crap, my spray."

Amara went reaching into her pocket, grabbed it and sprayed herself. As she did, the smell went away and Darragh whined in the back of Rory's mind. He missed the smell already.

"Amara, my wolf thinks you're my mate," Mr. Shaw stated.

A gasp escaped Amara's lips. "I'm not."

"Are you sure? You'd tell me if I was, right?"

Amara nodded vigorously. "Yes. Yes I would."

Mr. Shaw wasn't sure he believed her but he would give her the benefit of the doubt. For now, at least. He inched closer to her and smiled.

"Looks like I won the maze run," he said.

Amara giggled. "Yes, you did. How did you find me so easily?"

"Just lucky, I guess."

 _"Bullshit! Confront her! She is our mate! What more proof do you need?"_ Darragh yelled.

Amara giggled again and sighed. "Benjamin's gonna be so pissed."

"Yeah, he will be," Mr. Shaw said with a smile.

Just then they heard some rustling and some feet running. They both turned towards the corner and saw Benjamin pop out, looking out of breath. He snarled when he saw Mr. Shaw.

"Dammit!" Benjamin shouted.

Amara cackled and clapped her hands. "Better luck next time, Benny," she said.

"Son of a bitch!"

Mr. Shaw smirked at the angry wolf and he looked at Amara. "Well, now I suppose we better start making travel arrangements. How far away is the concert?"

"It's in Saint Paul, Minnesota, so about seven hundred miles," Amara answered.

"That's quite a drive."

"I think we'll be flying, actually."

"Oh. Okay, well, even better."

Benjamin scowled and reached for Amara, pulling her to him. "Amara, this is ridiculous. You can't possibly think that I'm going to let this happen."

"Excuse me?" Amara scoffed, pushing him away. "You're not going to _let me_ go see Metallica with the winner?"

"No, I'm not."

Amara laughed loudly. "I'd love to see you try, Forrester."

Amara left the area and Mr. Shaw chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, look's like that's that," he said before walking past Benjamin.

"No, that's not it! Amara!" Benjamin yelled after her, running after her as well.

Mr. Shaw just kept walking, following Benjamin's scent out of the maze. By the time he got out, Benjamin was arguing with Amara about the maze run and Rory couldn't keep the smile off his face. Not only was he going to go see Metallica, but he was also going to meet them. That was a pretty big dream come true. And also, he was going with a beautiful woman, too.

 _"We're gonna have a weekend alone with our mate!"_ Darragh exclaimed with glee.

 _"Amara's not our mate, she just said she wasn't,"_ Rory argued.

_"She's lying."_

Mr. Shaw chuckled and walked up to the bickering couple. "Well, I'll see you in class tomorrow, Amara."

"Yes, good night Mr. Shaw," she said before going back to arguing with Benjamin.

* * *

It was the next day and Amara was getting ready for basketball practice. Mr. Skyler decided Amara's best place would be as a shooting guard. She was more than happy for the role. The more she made consistent three point shots, the happier she felt. The more she helped make rebound shots, the better she felt. Debra still made it a point to try and knock Amara down but Amara wasn't having any of that nonsense. Not after what happened the day before. Amara was still pretty jealous about Debra grabbing her mate but she kept it cool to keep Dakota under wraps. Dakota was really not happy with Debra at all and Amara had a feeling it would stay that way.

When practice was over, Amara was given her official team jersey. She was number five and it was a red and black sleeveless jersey and shorts. Red Blood was etched on the back and front in black letters. She was happy with it. When she left the gym, she was escorted by her new guards, Tom and Henry. Two very large, very bulky men in black suits. Amara wasn't very excited about this new development but she did see the reasoning behind it.

At least they were friendly.

When she got to her car, she started it up and drove home with her guards tailing behind her in their own cars. As she got into the house she watched the guards leave and she sighed as she unlocked the door. Benjamin was waiting for her at the top of the stairs with a smile.

"How was practice?" he asked her.

"It was fine," Amara replied, climbing up the stairs. "Got my jersey. I'm officially on the team."

"Good," he said, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her. "You gonna take a shower?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Benjamin smirked. "Can I join you?"

Amara laughed. "No."

"Aww, c'mon."

She slapped him playfully. "Nooo."

"Damn, alright," Benjamin said with a frown.

Amara kissed him gently and went walking to her room. She locked the door and declothed before going into her bathroom and starting up the shower. Once the temperature was hot enough, Amara got in and started showering, finally alone with her thoughts. She hadn't thought about things that happened yesterday, but now was a good time to do so.

So, Mr. Shaw was her mate. Bad. Or was that good? No, it was definitely bad. He was her teacher, she was his student. And Benjamin, what was he going to do when he found out? Was was she going to do once Mr. Shaw found out?

 _"You have to mate with him so you don't have to carry around that stupid bottle of anti-scent spray anymore,"_ Dakota argued.

 _"I don't mind the spray so much,"_ Amara countered.

_"But the book said it was not a long term solution."_

_"Yeah, I know, but-"_

_"But nothing! We have to mate!"_

_"We don't have to do shit!"_ Amara snarled, slamming her fist against the shower wall.

Dakota whimpered. _"Amara, I want him. I want his wolf. You can't keep us from accepting the Moon Goddess' gift!"_

_"I could always reject him."_

_"You do that and I'll never speak to you again."_

Amara sighed and ran a hand through her black locks. _"Okay, so you just want us to walk around suffering?"_

_"You're suffering?"_

_"Of course I'm suffering! You really think I don't want Mr. Shaw? My Goddess, I couldn't even focus in math class today because I kept thinking about him!"_

_"Then why torture yourself? Why torture us?"_

_"He is a teacher! Once we graduate from high school, then I'll tell him."_

_"You're gonna wait that long? And what about Benjamin? What if you guys are in love by then?"_ Dakota asked with disgust in her voice.

Amara laughed. _"I'm pretty sure Benjamin will have moved on from me by then. He never stays with a girl for too long."_

_"But what if he doesn't?"_

_"He will. That's Benjamin for you. Once he loses interest, he moves on. That's it_ _,"_ Amara explained.

Amara started scrubbing her hair with shampoo. _"I don't think he's going to lose interest in you."_

_"Why not?"_

_"Because you're special."_

Amara smirked. _"Aww, thanks."_

Dakota giggled in her head and Amara continued her shower. When she was done, she got out and dried herself off. She dressed in a Black Sabbath t-shirt and blue jeans before heading out her door. She could smell dinner and it was spaghetti from the scent of it. She raced down the steps and into the kitchen to find Sonya cooking.

"Ah, Amara. How was practice?" she asked.

"It was good. We got a game on Wednesday night at the school," Amara replied, sniffing at the pot of sauce. "Mmm, smells good."

Sonya kissed Amara's cheek. "Glad you like it. Now go sit down, it's almost ready."

Amara went to the table to join the family. She sat down and soon Sonya came in with all the fixings. Benjamin said grace and they all dug in.

"So, how was practice?" Gabriel asked.

"Good. Got my first game on Wednesday," Amara replied.

"That's good. What time?"

"Five thirty."

"We'll be there."

Amara nodded as she slurped up some noodles, then she took a big bite of garlic bread.

"Are you excited for your first game?" Benjamin inquired.

"Oh yeah," Amara said with a mouth full of food. "We're gonna be playing against the White Moon Pack."

"I heard they're hard to beat," Gabriel offered.

"Not with me on the team now," Amara spoke with confidence.

Gabriel wheezed out a laugh. "You sure about that?"

"Uh huh. Coach Skyler said I'm the turning point for the season so it must be true."

"Well, I hope he's right. The Red Blood Pack could sure use a lift right now."

Amara blinked. "How's that?"

Gabriel eyed her. "Oh, just some stuff going on in one of the other territories."

Forks clinked against the plates as the others continued their dinner but they suddenly seemed nervous.

"What do you mean?"

Gabriel sighed. "Well, the wolves that attacked you, Amara? They're from another pack."

"Which one?"

"They're new."

Amara squinted her eyes. "New?"

Gabriel sighed once more. "Yes. I...I didn't want to tell you this but now that I have more information, it can't be helped."

Amara forked her food. "What is it?"

Gabriel reached his hand over and Amara took it. "Amara, just know that we love you and no matter what happens, you're safe with us and no one is going to take you."

"Um, okay?" she said with concern. She didn't like the sound of this at all.

Gabriel took a deep breath and squeezed Amara's hand gently. "A new pack has overtaken the old Pale Moon territory. And they want you."

Amara's face paled. "What? Was that even sanctioned by the Elders?"

"Yes, it was sanctioned by the Elders to put in a new pack. They kept it from me," he said bitterly.

"Why would they keep it from you?"

"I don't know. The new pack, they're called the Blood Pearl Pack. They've made a motion to return you to the territory."

Amara blinked madly. "It's because I'm a black wolf, isn't it?"

"Yes. The Alpha, he...he wants to force you to be his Luna."

Amara stood up. "But he can't do that!"

"And we won't let him. You are part of this pack, not theirs, Amara."

"What grounds could they possibly have to remove me from my home?!" Amara snapped.

"They don't. Taking you would be an act of war as far as I'm concerned," Gabriel explained.

Amara sat back down with a pout. "This is ridiculous. What do the Elders say about this?"

"As I said, a motion is being made. When something like this happens, there's usually a compromise to allow it but there is nothing that can be offered to me that would condone you being taken from us, I can promise you that."

"Not even a war?"

Gabriel nodded. "Not even a war. Our pack is five hundred strong now, theirs is no more than fifty, from what I've heard. They have nothing to barter with. They enter on our territory again, they will regret it."

Amara sat back down, shaking. "This is...please don't make me go back there."

Sonya got up and wrapped her arms around Amara from behind. "No one is taking you from us, okay? We promise."

Amara started crying and buried her face in her hands. Why couldn't she just be a normal werewolf?


	15. The Game

Amara was pacing outside math class the next morning, wondering if she should go in early. She'd gotten to school way earlier than intended on account of the revelation at last night's dinner. She'd left her car at home and decided to run as a wolf. Her guards came with, of course, and apparently they'd enjoyed the run even though they had issues keeping up. She was the fastest in the pack, after all.

Amara continued pacing by the door and Tom and Henry were watching her with amusement in their eyes.

"Why don't you just go in?" Tom asked her.

"...I don't know," Amara replied with hesitation.

"You afraid Mr. Shaw is gonna bite ya?" Henry chuckled.

 _"Well, maybe, once he finds out that we're mates,"_ she thought.

"No, I'm not. I'm just...he's so easy to talk to but I don't know if I can talk to him about this," she admitted.

"Why not? Aren't you guys friends?" Tom inquired.

"No." Amara eyed both of her guards. "Yes. I don't know. Is that wrong?"

"Naw, I don't think it is."

Amara nodded, still walking back and forth while clutching her book bag. The door opened and Mr. Shaw popped his head out.

"Amara, is everything okay?" he asked with worry in his voice after watching her pace.

Amara sighed. "Not really."

Mr. Shaw looked at the two men. "Hey Tom. Henry."

"Hello, Mr. Shaw," both the men said.

"Amara, do you need to talk?"

"No. Yes. Maybe."

Mr. Shaw chuckled. "Just come on in, let's talk." Amara walked in and sat down in her seat immediately. Mr. Shaw sat on the table of the desk in front of her and studied her. "What's going on?"

Amara took a deep breath in. "Remember those wolves who attacked me?"

"Yes."

"Well, I was attacked again on the weekend, before my birthday. Apparently they've overtaken my old pack's territory and...they want me."

Mr. Shaw raised an eyebrow. "They want you? I don't understand."

"Their Alpha wants to force me to be his Luna."

Mr. Shaw's eyes flashed black for a few seconds and an angry look appeared on his face. "...What?"

"Yeah. Gabriel told me last night when we were eating dinner."

Amara watched Mr. Shaw's jaw clench. "And what else did he say?"

"He said the new pack, the Blood Pearl Pack, has made a motion to have me go back to the territory but Gabriel said there is nothing that can be offered that would let him allow that, and if they step in our territory again it'll be an act of war."

Amara buried her face in her hands, trying not to cry. If she cried, Mr. Shaw would most certainly hug her and she didn't want him to touch her. She didn't want him to find out that she was his mate. She composed herself and looked at Mr. Shaw who had the saddest expression on his face.

"I'm so sorry, Amara," he commented. "What can I do?"

 _"Hold me,"_ she thought.

"I don't know," Amara said. "Just...I don't know."

Mr. Shaw let out a depressed puff of air. "Well, don't worry. I'm sure Alpha Gabriel has you covered."

Amara nodded. "He does."

Mr. Shaw looked her over. "So, you excited for the concert this weekend?"

Amara smiled gently, grateful for the change of subject. "Oh yeah. How about you?"

"I'm pure barry about it."

Amara laughed. "What does that mean?"

"It means I'm fantastic."

She grinned and lowered her gaze. "You know, you haven't spoken Gaelic to me lately."

"Oh, I suppose so." Mr. Shaw leaned forward and Amara looked at him. "Tha thu bòidheach. Gu tur brèagha." _[You're beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.]_

A small grin spread on her face. "Are you ever going to tell me what you're saying?" she asked.

"Probably not."

"You big meany," Amara said with a pout.

A barky laugh escaped him. "Tha thu a 'toirt gàire orm." _[You make me smile.]_

Amara cocked her head to the side, barely catching what he said. She'd been reading her Gaelic books for a bit now and she was already starting to catch on to simple words. All she knew is that "you" and "me" were in that sentence, but she wasn't about to give herself away.

A couple of kids walked in and Mr. Shaw sighed as he stood up. "Well, as I said, if you ever need to talk about anything, my door is always open."

Amara grinned and watched him walk to his desk. More kids got into the classroom and soon it was full. The bell rang and Amara pulled out her math assignment from the night before. Kids started handing them up and Mr. Shaw collected them, then he went to the blackboard and started the lesson.

She watched him write and was barely able to concentrate, palming her chin as she went into a daze of studying Mr. Shaw's every move. He was just so handsome. Amara wished she could be with him but she didn't see how it was possible despite the fact that they were mates. Having him out of her reach frustrated Amara to no end. So much so that she'd dreamed about him the last couple of nights. Pleasant dreams about being held in his arms and kissing him.

It was completely unfair.

Once class was over she went to her next class, still in a haze over her mate. Could she really wait until the end of the school year to tell him? Would that be fair to him? Amara knew she couldn't and she knew it wasn't fair to keep the information from him. Would he be mad once she told him? It was hard to say.

The day was going by too slowly and Amara was stuck in la la land over Mr. Shaw the whole day so far. She had so many feelings about him, a desire to be with him being the strongest one. It didn't help that Dakota wouldn't shut up and would continuously argue with Amara on what to do. The point was that they were both hurting and she didn't know how long she could keep it up until she caved.

By the end of the school day, Amara raced home in her wolf form with Tom and Henry. Benjamin was home to greet her but she was distant and he noticed.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Nothing," she replied, walking to her room.

Benjamin grabbed her by the hand to force her into stopping. "Amara, please talk to me."

She huffed in irritation. "Just the stuff your dad told me yesterday," she lied.

While that was bothering her, it was the least of her worries at the moment. Amara was still agonizing over Mr. Shaw.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about it, babe," Benjamin said. "He's not gonna let you anything happen to you and neither will I." Amara gave him a solemn nod and he pulled her close to his chest. "In the mean time, wanna make out?"

Amara giggled and looked up at him. "You're always wanting to make out."

"I can't help it. You're just too pretty."

A redness formed on her cheeks and she looked away. "Oh stop it."

He chuckled deeply, turned her head to face him and kissed her deeply. Amara threw her arms around him and returned the kiss. Even while kissing Benjamin, all she could think about was Mr. Shaw and what he would taste like.

* * *

It was game day. Amara stood by the bleachers in her basketball jersey feeling nervous as all hell. The seats were packed with Red Blood and White Moon fans. She looked down at her tennis shoes and sighed.

"Alright, gang. I want you all to think clear and hustle," Coach Skyler said. "Let's show the White Moon Pack what we're made of."

He held out his hand and everyone placed their hands on his. They did a "one, two, three, go Red Blood!" and the crowd cheered as Amara and the other players went onto the court. She took her position as Sally and an opponent took the middle. Amara looked through the stands and saw Gabriel, Sonya, Janine and Benjamin cheering her on and she smiled.

Amara also happened to notice a certain hot Scottish man in the bleachers and she waved at him. He waved back and Amara turned her attention to the center of the court. The referee threw the ball up and Sally grabbed it. They ran down the court and Sally passed the ball to Amara quickly. She dribbled a little bit, being guarded by her opponent, before reaching up and shooting at the basket.

A swish sound was made as the ball went in and Amara silently cheered for herself. The White Moon point guard grabbed the ball and Amara went up the court to guard who she was supposed to. The point guard, number twenty one, called out a play name and people got into position as she ran up the court. Amara held her arms out and crouched slightly, going side to side to make sure not to leave her guarded open. The ball was passed to someone else and number seven of the Moon Pack got it, shot the ball and scored a two-pointer.

Sally caught the ball and her and Amara went running down the court. Sally called out the play "Viking" and Amara immediately got into position at the three point line. Sally tossed the ball to Debra who made a lay up and got the ball in.

The game went on, Amara making lots of three point shots and only missing a couple. Eventually Coach Skyler had her back on the bench to rest and trade in another player. As Amara took a drink from her water bottle, she felt someone touch her from behind. She turned around and saw a boy she'd never seen before. His irises were black.

"Mine!" he growled loudly.

 _"Oh crap!"_ she thought.

* * *

Mr. Shaw was watching the game when an overwhelming scent hit his nostrils. It smelled like cucumbers and melons. It was Amara's scent.

 _"Oh no,"_ he thought.

He looked over at her and sure enough, there was a male hassling her. He immediately realized that Amara was his mate.

 _"See? I told you!"_ Darragh yelled in his mind.

More boys started hassling Amara as she struggled to get away. Rory got up and so did others as their focus was brought on to the commotion. He started running down the bleachers towards her and the game stopped when people realized something was going on. Mr. Shaw shoved the boys away from her and soon she was free from their grasp. While Amara's scent was driving him nuts, Rory's need to protect his mate was a much stronger impulse.

Gabriel came charging up to them as the unmated males began to recover. "Amara, where's your spray?" he shouted.

"In my gym locker!" she announced.

Rory didn't waste a second. He instantly grabbed Amara's hand, feeling electric tingles spread up his hand and arm. Yep, she was definitely his mate. They ran out of the gym to the girl's locker room as they were chased by frenzied males. They opened the door and Mr. Shaw locked it behind him as Amara went racing to her locker. She opened it and grabbed the bottle as the door was being pounded on.

"Crap! It's empty!" she yelled.

 _"Shit!"_ Rory thought.

"Is there another way out of here?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, slamming the locker shut. "Over here!"

Rory chased after her and they found another door that led out into the school hallway. It was empty. They walked out slowly, looking around to see if anyone was around. Nope, empty.

 _"Mr. Shaw!"_ Gabriel said in the mind link. _"_ _Get her out of the school and to your house. I'll find you there with more spray!"_

 _"Understood, Alpha,"_ Rory replied.

He grabbed Amara's hand again and they went running through the hall way to the exit. They got out and ran through the parking lot to Mr. Shaw's car. They got in just as some insane boys came running out. Mr. Shaw started the car and peeled out of the parking lot. They got away from the school and he went racing down the road to his house.

When they got there, he put the car in park and looked behind him. He didn't think they were followed.

"C'mon, in the house," he urged.

The two quickly got out of the car and ran to the house. Mr. Shaw quickly unlocked it, they got in and he slammed the door shut, locking it from within. Hopefully they were safe for the time being. But now that they were, her scent invaded his nostrils and he turned to her with black eyes.

* * *

Amara gulped from the way Mr. Shaw was looking at her and she started backing away.

"Mr. Shaw, you...okay, just calm down for a second," she stammered.

He started walking towards her. "Why didn't you tell me we were mates?" he growled.

He was mad. Great.

"I-I didn't know if you'd believe me, and then there's the fact that you're my teacher, and then there's Benjamin to consider, and-"

"Those are not good enough excuses!" his voice boomed, making her cringe.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered, backing up into the wall.

He crowded her and put his hands on the wall beside her head. He inhaled her scent deeply and she could tell it made him shake.

"Mine," he whispered gently before kissing her forehead.

Sparks erupted all over the skin of her face and she gasped at the feeling. It felt so good. Dakota was practically purring inside Amara. His lips trailed down to her temple, then to her cheek, then to the side of her mouth.

"Mr. Shaw..." she moaned as he rubbed a hand down her arm.

"Mine," he whispered again with a low growl.

"Mr. Shaw, please," she whined.

"You can call me Rory," he muttered before pressing his mouth to hers.

Amara couldn't help herself. She flung her arms about him as electricity sparkled on her lips and she moaned into his mouth. Rory groaned and stuck his tongue in her mouth. Their tongues wiggled around each other as Amara gasped against him. In the midst of making out, Amara wondered just what the hell she was doing. At the same time, Goddess, this felt so good. So right. Everything was tingling with pleasure wherever he touched her. Not even Benjamin felt this good.

Benjamin.

 _"Oh crap!"_ she thought.

Amara pressed her hands to Rory's chest and pushed him off gently. "Wait, wait, wait..." she uttered.

"What's wrong?" Mr. Shaw asked huskily, holding her close and looking down at her with a frown.

"I can't," she said. "We can't. I'm with Benjamin."

Rory groaned with irritation while Dakota growled in frustration.

 _"Dammit, Amara!"_ Dakota snapped.

"To hell with him!" Rory snarled. "You're _mine!"_

Amara was taken aback by Mr. Shaw's possessiveness. It was actually kind of hot. Okay, it was extremely hot. It sent warmth all over Amara's body and butterflies into her stomach. His eyes were still black but Amara didn't want to care about that. She needed this man badly. Still...

"I can't cheat on him, Rory. That would be wrong and you know it," Amara explained, touching his face. "Please."

Mr. Shaw growled once more. "I'm sorry, did you not like it?"

"No, it's okay," she assured him. "I...I really liked it, trust me."

"Then break up with him," he pleaded.

Amara giggled sadly. "Even if I did, you're still my teacher."

"I'll get a different job."

"I can't ask you to do that."

"You're not asking, I'm gonna do it. I need you so much, Amara."

She bit her lower lip, part of her wishing Gabriel would hurry up with the damn anti-scent spray. On the other hand, she needed Rory like crazy. She looked up into his black eyes knowing full well it was her damn scent making him act this way.

"Rory, you need to come to your senses. It's just my scent making you do these things."

"But you're my mate."

"I know, I know, but-"

Rory growled, leaned down and kissed her neck. It made Amara tremble with ecstacy. It made her want to say the hell with Benjamin and the hell with everything else standing in their way. Rory's lips traveled up to her jawline and back to her mouth. Amara's hands went instinctively into his hair and gripped it tightly, earning a groan from her mate.

Then there was a knock on the door.

They both stopped to look at it. "Gabriel," they both said.


	16. Wrong

Another knock on the door.

Amara immediately adjusted herself and looked at Rory. He looked quite disheveled.

"Rory, fix your hair!" she hissed.

Mr. Shaw did what he was told with a chuckle. When Amara went walking away he grabbed her from behind and held her.

"Rory! Cut it out," she laughed.

"No," he mumbled against her ear.

"I have to answer the door."

Another knock. This time it was louder.

Amara grunted and moved with Mr. Shaw to the door.

"Mr. Shaw, you have to let go," she said.

"Amara?" Gabriel said through the door. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just trying to peel Mr. Shaw off me! Just give me a minute!" she said with a cackle.

She heard Gabriel laugh. "Just open the door and I'll help you."

Amara blew a raspberry and unlocked the door. Gabriel came in and laughed again at the sight.

"Problems?" he asked in amusement.

Amara trembled as Mr. Shaw nuzzled her ear. "Hello, Alpha Forrester. Have you smelled her? She smells _so good_ ," Rory mumbled.

Amara rolled her eyes. "Do you see what I have to put up with, man?" she said.

Gabriel chuckled and pulled out the spray, handing it to her. "You're lucky I had this in the car."

Mr. Shaw groaned. "Don't take the beautiful smell away."

Gabriel sighed. "Okay, Mr. Shaw. Time to let go of Amara."

"But she's mine," Rory said.

Amara rolled her eyes again. Gabriel laughed loudly and took Mr. Shaw's arms before lifting them off Amara. Rory protested angrily but it was just long enough for Amara to finally spray herself. Mr. Shaw's eyes flickered back to icy blue and he blinked.

"What...what happened?" he asked incoherently.

"My scent sent you into a tizzy, Mr. Shaw," Amara explained.

Mr. Shaw's eyes widened. "Oh. Did I do anything bad?" he asked.

Amara cleared her throat. "Not really."

Gabriel eyed Amara. "What did he do?"

"Nothing. He just got a little...grabby," she said.

That was only part of the truth. She wasn't about to admit to Gabriel that her and Mr. Shaw kissed. And Goddess, what kisses they were.

Mr. Shaw closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Amara."

"It's okay. It wasn't your fault," she assured him. "Do you remember anything at the basketball game?"

"Kinda, it's all so...fuzzy," Rory replied. "I need to sit down." He pulled up a chair and put his head in his hands. "I remember smelling you, and then..." Suddenly he looked up at her in shock.

Amara quickly tried to change the subject. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I think so. Just a little out of it."

Gabriel nodded. "This stuff isn't very reliable, is it?" he asked, pointing to the bottle of spray.

"Maybe I sweat it out of my system?" she surmised.

"Perhaps."

"Was it complete chaos when we left?" Amara asked.

"Oh yeah. They quit the game and have called for a meeting at the pack house," Gabriel replied.

"Grrreeeaaat," Amara said. "What are you gonna tell them?"

"The truth."

"Oh, that'll go well," Amara said sarcastically.

"Don't worry. I'm the Alpha. None of them would dare get out of line with me."

Amara nodded. "This is true."

Gabriel ran a hand over his face. "This would be a lot easier if you had your mate, though."

Amara flinched when Rory's head shot up. "Excuse me? What about her mate?"

"Once Amara has found her mate and...you know, actually mates with him, then her scent will go back to normal."

Rory gaped at Amara. "Is that so..."

Amara did her best to avoid his gaze without looking too suspicious. "Yes."

Gabriel looked at Amara. "I want you to head straight home." Gabriel walked to her and kissed her forehead. "Tom and Henry are outside waiting for you, Little One."

Amara blushed at the nickname and watched Gabriel walk to the door. When he left, Mr. Shaw got up and shut the door before looking at Amara.

"Mr. Shaw, I should get going," she said, wanting to avoid the subject she knew he was going to bring up.

"In a minute," he said, walking to her. "However, I don't even know where to begin."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're my mate. And you kept it from me."

"Oh, you remember that part, huh?" Amara lowered her gaze. "I did keep it from you."

"Why?" he asked calmly.

"We already went through this when we got here."

"We did?"

"Yes."

Mr. Shaw huffed. "Well, I don't remember that so why don't you tell me again?"

Amara looked at him briefly before looking at her shoes. "...I didn't say anything because you're my teacher. Also, because of Benjamin. And also...I'm a black wolf. And..."

"And?"

"I was worried you would reject me."

"Amara, why on earth would I do a thing like that?"

"For all the reasons I just mentioned."

Amara felt her chin raise, being forced to look up at him as tingles flashed through her skin. "I would never put my mate through the pain of rejection, Amara."

"Then what are we going to do?" she asked sadly.

"I'm not sure," he replied.

"Can't we just ignore it?"

"I suppose we could try, but that would probably be impossible."

"It would?"

"Yeah. See, mate bonds are very, very hard to ignore," he said. "They practically consume your every thought."

Amara gave him a frown. "You sound like you know from experience."

There was a sadness that passed through his eyes, but only for a moment. "Let's just say I've seen it before," he said.

"Oh. So, what do you suggest?"

"Well, what did I say about it when I was in a frenzy?"

Amara giggled. "You weren't exactly in a frenzy. More like...you were hot and bothered, then you acted like a lovesick puppy."

Mr. Shaw blushed profusely. "I didn't kiss you, did I?"

Amara blanched. "Um, well..."

"Oh no, I did, didn't I..."

Amara grasped his arm. "If it makes you feel better, I enjoyed it. And I kissed you back. Twice."

"I kissed you twice?"

Amara giggled. "You were pretty persistent about it, so yes."

"Oh Goddess," he muttered.

Amara giggled. "I'm enjoying your agony too much."

Rory gave her a pout. "You're mean."

She giggled again. "Yeah, I know."

"So...what else did I do?"

Amara cackled. "You told me to break up with Benjamin and that you'd find a new job."

"Oh man..."

"It's okay, I know you didn't mean any of it."

Mr. Shaw looked into her emerald eyes. "What makes you think I didn't mean it?"

Amara made a straight face. "Did you?"

Suddenly her phone rang and she growled. It rang again and she answered it.

"Hello?"

_"Amara, are you okay?"_

Amara's face paled. "Benjamin. Hi. Yes, I'm okay."

_"Where are you?"_

"Um, I'm at Mr. Shaw's house and I'm about to leave."

_"..."_

"Benjamin?"

_"Why are you at his house?"_

"Because he brought me here for safety."

She heard Benjamin growl. _"Why are you still there?"_

"Because we're talking."

_"About what?"_

"About what happened at the basketball game."

_"Okay. When are you leaving?"_

Amara rolled her eyes. "Enough with the twenty friggin questions!"

_"I'm sorry but I don't like him."_

"Why? Because you're scared of a little competition?" she teased.

A loud growl emanated from the phone and Amara chuckled, looking at Mr. Shaw.

_"Is he my competition?"_

"Maybe."

_"Babe, I thought you were trying to get over that little crush of yours."_

Mr. Shaw smirked at her, mouthing the word "crush" and she blushed.

"Well, I...um...listen, there's something we need to talk about but I'd rather do it face to face. Will you wait for me at home so we can talk?" she asked Benjamin.

_"...I don't like where this is going, Amara. Why can't you tell me now?"_

"Like I said, I'd rather do it face to face."

_"But why? Is it bad?"_

"...Depends on your perspective."

 _"What the hell does that even mean?!"_ Benjamin yelled over the phone.

"It means I'll talk to you when I get home," Amara said with irritation before hanging up the phone. "I better get going."

Mr. Shaw nodded and walked to the door. "Alright. We can talk another time, I suppose."

Amara reached for the door handle, but then she turned for a moment to look at him. "I'm sorry about all this, Mr. Shaw."

"Don't be. It's not your fault."

Amara nodded as Mr. Shaw opened the door for her. She exited the house into the cool, night air. Tom and Henry were in the car waiting for her so she walked to it.

* * *

Mr. Shaw shut the door and leaned his forehead against it. His mate...his second chance mate was a god damn student!

 _"Who cares?"_ Darragh barked. _"I told you she was our mate, but nooooooo, Rory Shaw knows everything and Darragh knows nothing,"_ he mocked.

 _"Shut up, Darragh,"_ Rory growled.

_"Do you know what this means? It means we can go back home with a Luna!"_

_"No, we are not going back home. Malcolm is in charge of the pack now."_

_"Bullshit. Rory, we were meant to be Alpha."_

_"That's enough!"_ Rory yelled. _"That's all over and done with!"_

Darragh sighed. _"You're an eejit."_

* * *

"We want answers, Alpha!" someone yelled.

"Yeah, why did my son become a rabid dog at the ball game?!" someone else shouted angrily.

The whole pack house was in an uproar and Gabriel was doing his best to get people to shut up but they were really riled up. He held up his hands and yelled in his Alpha voice for people to quiet down. They finally did.

Gabriel lowered his hands and sighed. "Thank you. Now, let me explain what happened. Amara has a very specific, a very potent scent because she has a black wolf. It drives unmated males into a heating frenzy. She's been using anti-scent spray to cover it up." Murmurs went through the crowd but Gabriel hushed them once more. "Now, I have something being delivered for her that will work better than the anti-scent spray and it should be in by the end if the week. In the mean time, we-"

"You're just gonna let her stay with us?" some man shouted. "She's a curse! This just proves it!"

An uproar went up once more and Gabriel got up from his seat. "Speak that way again and you will have to answer to me, Mr. Gibson!" Gabriel shouted. "And that goes for the rest of you as well!"

All the noise died down and Gabriel growled. "Amara Jenson is a daughter to me and a member of this pack whether you like it or not. Now, in the mean time, we must search for her mate."

"Why?" a woman asked.

"Once Amara finds her mate and completes the mating process, her scent will go back to normal." Hushed whispers filled the room and Gabriel sat back down. "Now, are there any questions?"

"What about the wolves that have been invading our borders? Is it true they're in Amara's old pack territory?" a woman asked.

"Yeah, that's true," Gabriel replied. "If they cross our lands again, it'll be an act of war. I made that quite clear with the Elders."

* * *

Amara unlocked the front door and walked in before waving to Tom and Henry. She shut the door and leaned on it as tears filled her eyes. She was an emotional wreck and what happened at the game scared the daylights out of her. Was she going to be kicked off the team because of it? She hoped not. Amara wiped her eyes and turned around, walking towards the stairs. When she got to her room and turned on the light, she saw Benjamin was sitting on her bed.

"Hi," he said glumly.

"Hi," she replied hesitantly.

"You wanted to talk?"

Amara dropped her gym bag and walked over to the bed. "Yes."

"I'm all ears."

She sat down next to him and sighed. "We need to break up."

"What?" Benjamin asked in horror. "But why?"

"I can't tell you," she replied sadly.

"Yes you can. I think I deserve an explanation."

"I know, and you're right. You do deserve an explanation. But it's...complicated, Ben."

"Well, uncomplicate it for me."

Amara got up from the bed and walked to her dresser, looking at her Lars Ulrich figuring that Mr. Shaw got her for her birthday. It brought a small smile to her lips but it quickly faded.

"Ben, I just can't tell you. I'm not ready to say why."

She felt his presence behind her and he wrapped her up in his embrace. "Babe, please talk to me."

Amara turned around and looked at him, tears threatening to spill over. She knew Benjamin would be furious if he knew the truth and she was worried about what he'd do. Worried that he might go after Mr. Shaw and hurt him. Alphas were very possessive and jealous creatures, she knew this to be true. She herself had Alpha blood and she remembered what she did to Debra just for touching Mr. Shaw.

"I can't," she sniffled.

"Then I'm not letting you go," he claimed.

Benjamin pressed his lips to hers and she froze. This felt wrong to her now, and yet she still had feelings for Benjamin. But why did it feel so wrong for him to kiss her? Still, she put her arms around him and moaned into his mouth.

Dakota whimpered in the back of her mind.


	17. Fight

Amara woke up the next morning feeling quite conflicted about her situation. She had feelings for two different men, one of them being her mate. She hadn't succeeded in breaking up with Benjamin and that was unfortunate. It would have made things a lot easier if she had only stuck to her guns.

Amara dressed in a green woolen sweater and black slacks, opting out of straightening her hair for the day. She finished her morning routine and headed downstairs for breakfast. She was surprised to find that her favorite breakfast of all was on the table. Amara immediately sat down, fixed up her plate and dug in. After a while she looked up at everyone who was studying her.

"What?" she asked, her mouth full of pancakes.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Sonya asked.

"I'm okay," she replied, eyeing her suspiciously.

"If you want to take today off from school, you can," Gabriel brought up.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because of what happened at the game."

Amara shook her head. "I'll be fine. Really."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I have Tom and Henry to guard me, don't I?" Amara pointed out.

Gabriel nodded. "Amara, I admire your courage, but I really think you should-"

Amara got up. "I'm going to school. I said I'll be fine." She left without finishing her pancakes. She put her backpack over her shoulder and looked at everyone. "I'm heading to school early."

She left without another word. She got to her car and gave a brief wave to Tom and Henry. She unlocked it, got in and started it up. As she drove out of the driveway, Amara growled in irritation. She was not really in the best of moods.

When she got to the school, Amara headed straight for the gymnasium and found a basketball. She started shooting hoops when she heard her name being called. It was Coach Skyler.

"Hey," she said, shooting a three pointer.

"Amara, I have something to discuss with you," he said sadly as he approached her.

Amara got the ball and shot a two-pointer. "What's up, Coach?"

"Amara." Amara grabbed the ball and looked at him. "The principal got some calls from concerned parents and...I hate to do this, but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to kick you off the team."

Amara blinked madly. "What?"

* * *

Mr. Shaw sat at his desk going over the lesson he was going to give that day when he looked up and saw Amara walk in. She sat right at her desk, avoiding his gaze. Something was wrong, he could tell.

"Are you alright, Amara?" he asked with concern.

"Just peachy," she said bitterly as she pulled out her math book.

Rory frowned and got up from his desk, walking over to her. "Amara?"

"...The coach kicked me off the team," she muttered through clenched teeth.

"What?"

"He said as talented as I am, they can't have another... _incident_. People called demanding that I be removed from the team...which I can understand, but I really liked being on the team."

He narrowed his eyes. "This won't do at all. C'mon," he said, walking to the classroom door.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she stood up.

"We're gonna go have a chat with him."

Amara sighed. "Mr. Shaw, that really isn't necessary."

"Yes it is," he spat with a growl. "No one mistreats my mate this way."

He saw her cheeks blush. "Mr. Shaw..."

Rory opened a mind link. _"Alpha Forrester, may I see you at the school please?"_

 _"What's wrong?"_ Gabriel asked.

Mr. Shaw motioned for Amara to follow, which she did. _"She was kicked off the team for what happened yesterday."_

_"I'm on my way."_

The two, followed by Tom and Henry, walked down the hall. "Did Principal Anderson approve this?" Rory asked.

"Yes," she replied. "He's the one who got the calls."

Mr. Shaw stopped in his tracks. "Then I suppose we better go talk to him first."

Amara grabbed his hand, sending tingles up his hand and arm. "Mr. Shaw, I appreciate you doing this, I do, but I think it's best for everyone if I'm off the team."

"Amara, you shouldn't be excluded from doing things just because some people have a problem with it," Rory explained, looking down at their intertwined hands.

It felt good to touch his mate.

Still, he let go and they walked down to the main office. Mr. Shaw let Gabriel know where to meet through the pack mind link. He opened the door and marched straight to the principal's door. He didn't even bother to knock. He just barged in with an angry look on his face.

Principal Anderson jumped from the door being slammed open. "Mr. Shaw! What in the-"

"You made Coach Skyler kick Amara Jenson off the basketball team?!" he growled loudly.

Anderson sighed. "Yes. We've had multiple calls from parents about what happened yesterday at the game. A lot of people are concerned about Amara's scent problem and she's lucky I haven't forced her out of school."

Mr. Shaw took a deep, angry breath. "They asked for her removal from school too?!"

"Demanded, but I won't have any of that. But as far as the basketball team, my hands are tied."

Mr. Shaw crossed his arms. "Oh yeah? We'll see what Alpha Forrester has to say about this."

Anderson's eyes went wide. "You went to the Alpha about this?"

"I most certainly did. You can't kick her off the team for something that's not even her fault."

"Mr. Shaw, I don't want to cause any problems," Amara interjected.

Rory turned to her. "Do you still want to be on the team?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then we're gonna fight this."

* * *

Gabriel parked his car in the parking lot and got out, rushing towards the school. He was really pissed off. The nerve of the principal to force his Little One off the basketball team. He burst through the front doors and marched straight to the main office. As he walked in, the receptionist stood up.

"Alpha," she said with a head bow.

Gabriel nodded and walked towards the principal's office, spotting Tom and Henry standing outside. He inclined his head to them as they gave light bows. He walked into Anderson's office and narrowed his eyes when he saw the principal stand up.

"Alpha," Anderson said, bowing his head.

Gabriel looked around the office. Mr. Shaw was standing with his arms crossed over his chest. Amara was sitting in a chair, looking rather dejected and embarassed. Gabriel looked back at Principal Anderson.

"So what's this I hear about Amara being kicked off the team?" he asked calmly.

Anderson cleared his throat. "We had some complaints from worried parents, and-"

"You mean angry parents who have no idea whether to scratch their watches or wind their butts?" Gabriel interrupted.

Amara snorted but quickly quieted herself. Anderson gave her a serious look. "I'm sorry," she said.

Anderson looked back at Gabriel. "Concerned parents about what happened at the ball game yesterday. They asked for her removal from the team."

"You mean demanded," Mr. Shaw corrected bitterly.

Gabriel smirked at Mr. Shaw, leaning himself against the door frame. He was happy that Amara had another person in her corner. He gave Anderson a serious look.

"How many parents were there?" he asked.

"Twelve," Anderson replied.

"Twelve?!" Gabriel scoffed. "Twelve parents?!"

Anderson nodded. "Now you can see why I was pressed into a corner."

Gabriel sighed. "Give me all the names. In the mean time, Amara is back on the team."

"But Alpha, I-"

"Not buts, Anderson. I'll take care of all the parents. You reinstate her to her team. End of discussion."

Anderson sighed and rubbed his face. "Alright. I'll talk to Mr. Skyler. She's back on the team."

Gabriel noticed the brief smile on Shaw's face. "Thank you, Principal Anderson," Amara said. "I'm sorry for causing all this trouble."

Anderson huffed. "I know it wasn't your fault, Amara. You can't help your scent. We can only hope you find your mate soon."

Mr. Shaw coughed and looked to the floor. "That's public knowledge now?" he asked.

"Since the meeting at the pack house," Gabriel replied. "We need to find her mate as soon as possible." Gabriel looked at Amara. Her face was ghostly white. "Amara? Are you okay?" he asked her.

"I'm fine," she replied, clearing her throat as her face returned to normal.

Gabriel eyed her with suspicion but he then shook his head. He didn't like that Amara had become secretive lately but what could he do about it, really? He couldn't even use his Alpha voice to command her to say anything.

The principal wrote down all the names of the parents who complained and handed the list to Gabriel. "Well, if there isn't anything else," Principal Anderson began, "I better call Coach Skyler and tell him the news."

As he picked up his phone, Gabriel and the rest left the office. Tom and Henry followed them and Gabriel stopped in front of the main office door.

"Well, that takes care of that," Gabriel said. "Thank you for being there for her, Mr. Shaw."

"My pleasure," Mr. Shaw replied.

Gabriel said goodbye to them both and left the school.

* * *

Amara bit her lip as her and Mr. Shaw walked back to class. "Thank you for sticking up for me," she said to him.

Mr. Shaw looked behind him at Tom and Henry, then he looked back at her with a smirk. "As I said, no one mistreats my mate that way," he whispered.

Amara felt her cheeks heat up. "Mr. Shaw..."

They got back to the classroom quickly and just as Amara was about to sit down at her desk, Mr. Shaw motioned her over to his. He sat on the front of his desk, hands placed on the metal as Amara approached him.

"We never really figured out what we're gonna do about being mates," he said.

Amara clutched her arm and looked down at her shoes. "I know. Um...what do you think we should do?"

"Well, you're the one who didn't even want a mate in the first place," he said sadly. "So, I guess-"

"Actually," Amara interrupted, raising her head to look at him. "My thoughts about that...may have changed."

"Really?" he asked curiously.

"I think so. I mean, now that I know what it feels like to have one, I can see the appeal," she said, trying to play it cool.

 _"Ugh, just tell him how you really feel,"_ Dakota growled.

"You can see the appeal," Mr. Shaw mimicked with a scoff. "Is that all?"

Amara looked at him sadly. What was she supposed to tell him, exactly? That she had dreams about him? That he consumed her every thought? That she imagined Rory kissing her while being with Benjamin? Amara felt she'd sound too emotional and dramatic if she said anything like that.

"I...well, I don't want to get all mushy on you, but I want you. Desperately. Satisfied?" she said bitterly. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Yes, that's what I wanted to hear!" he snapped. "And I want you too!"

"Okay, then!" she snapped back.

"Okay!"

Amara huffed angrily and looked away from him, crossing her arms over her chest. "So what are we going to do?"

"What would you like us to do, Amara?" he growled furiously.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "I asked you first!"

"Well, I'm your teacher and you're with someone else! I don't see how we can be together given those factors!"

Amara felt as if her heart were being ripped out. Dakota howled in agony as Amara tried to downplay her feelings once again.

"Well," she said. "I guess that's that, then."

Mr. Shaw looked as if he regretted his words but Amara was too hurt to care. She turned and walked to her desk, sitting down as calmly as she could muster. She glared down at her desk top and gripped her hands tightly, her nails digging into her palms. She heard Mr. Shaw let out a small sigh.

"Amara, I-"

Kids started coming in and Amara lifted her eyes for a moment to see Mr. Shaw looking distraught. He huffed and went to the blackboard to start writing.

* * *

 _"You're an eejit, Rory! A god damn eejit!"_ Darragh growled. _"You hurt our mate!"_

 _"I know,"_ Rory said in his mind. _"I'm an eejit."_

_"You screwed up!"_

_"I know I did."_

Rory continued writing the lesson on the board, trying to distract himself from the deep pain within his heart. He hadn't meant to hurt Amara. He'd wanted to tell her about how he was going to plan on getting a different job so that he could be with her, provided that she broke up with Benjamin, of course. Now it looked like he wouldn't get that chance.

Or maybe he would. Maybe Rory just needed to let her calm down a bit before approaching her.

But what about the Metallica concert? Was he still allowed to go or was she going to rescind his invitation? That he needed to know.

As class continued, Mr. Shaw kept stealing glances over at Amara who refused to look his way. This saddened him even more. He could tell she was fuming...and that she was hurting a great deal.

Once class was over, he called out for her but she ignored him and left class.

 _"Dammit,"_ he thought.

 _"Now what are you going to do, ya big clod?"_ Darragh asked.

* * *

Amara was grateful to be out of math class and she practically ran to the bathroom. When she got into one of the stalls, tears fell from her eyes and she covered her mouth to stifle her sobbing. How could something like this hurt so much?

Mr. Shaw couldn't see them being together given the circumstances, that she could understand, but it did nothing to dull the pain of actually hearing it from his mouth. As she continued to cry, Amara heard some girls enter the bathroom.

She quickly dried her tears and was about to walk out when she heard the conversation going on.

"I can't wait until I see Amara Jenson's face when she gets told she's off the team."

It was Debra.

"You really think Coach Skyler is going to kick her off?" a girl asked.

"He better. My parents made a huge stink about what she did at the game. Ugh, making all the boys chase her like that. What a slut."

Amara's eyes turned dark. She was starting to lose her patience with this Debra chick.

"But I don't think it was her fault. I think she has no control over it."

"Bullshit," Debra remarked. "That ugly, cursed tramp wants all the boys to herself, including Mr. Shaw. Did you see what she did to me at the party?"

"Yes. I will admit it was a bit excessive, but-"

"But nothing. Mr. Shaw is a real hottie, he's mine and I plan on having sex with him."

A low growl emitted from Amara's throat. For someone to say things like that about her mate made her blood boil. Mr. Shaw belonged to _her,_ not Debra.

 _"Kill that bitch,"_ Dakota snarled.

* * *

As Rory was sitting at his desk trying to figure out what to do about Amara, he noticed people running down the hall and he heard yelling. He got up and walked out of the classroom to see what the commotion was. He followed the students to a crowd encircling the girl's bathroom.

"What's going on here?" he asked a student.

"There's a wolf fight in the bathroom," the student said.

There was a loud yelp that echoed from the bathroom and people gasped as Rory ran and opened the door. What he saw inside made his blood run cold.


	18. Benjamin

Amara was in her wolf form and she had a smaller, gray and brown wolf pinned to the floor. Bloody froth dripped from her lips and various amounts of blood spatter decorated the bathroom.

"Amara!" Mr. Shaw exclaimed.

Amara looked up at him with a growl, then she looked back down at her victim. Another growl rumbled from her throat.

"Amara, mo caraid, you need to calm down and shift back," Mr. Shaw urged gently as he walked in slowly. _[my mate]_

Amara snarled at him as he got closer and he flinched, stopping in his tracks.

"Tha mi cho duilich gun do ghoirtich mi thu," he said. _[I'm so sorry I hurt you.]_

Amara's head cocked to the side a bit. Rory resumed walking towards her.

"Tha mi airson a bhith còmhla riut barrachd air rud sam bith. Nì mi nas urrainn dhomh gus toirt oirnn obair." _[I want you more than anything. I will do all I can to get us to work."]_

The black wolf whined at him and he made a soft smile, gesturing for her to come to him.

"But you gotta let whoever that is on the floor go first, okay?" he said.

Amara growled at the figure beneath her before moving. The smaller wolf yelped and started shifting, crying and whimpering as she did. Rory barely noticed that it was Debra.

"You crazy bitch!" Debra shouted, covering herself up. "I'm gonna make sure you get expelled!"

Amara barked loudly at Debra who screeched and ran from the bathroom. Rory couldn't help but chuckle a little. Amara walked to him with a whimper and began to pant.

"What did you do, mo caraid?" he asked. _[my mate?]_ Amara groaned and Rory scratched behind her ear. "I'm so sorry about what I said, Amara."

She nuzzled his face and he laughed. Amara began to shift back and soon she was back in her human form. Rory took off his suit jacket and covered her up in it, noticing that she was trembling.

"You're shaking like a leaf," he commented, rubbing her arms up and down. "What happened?"

"She pissed me off," Amara said casually.

"Ha! You crack me up," he laughed. "What did she say?"

"She didn't know I was in here. Called me a slut and an ugly, cursed tramp...then she..." Amara lowered her eyes to the floor.

"Then she what?"

"She was...talking about having sex with you."

Rory's mouth dropped. "Seriously?"

She smirked a little. "Nobody talks about my mate that way."

"Well, we better leave that part out when the principal asks what happened."

Amara let out a groan. "Ugh, do I have to talk to him?"

"You engaged in a fight at school, Amara. In wolf form, no less. I just hope you don't get expelled."

Amara nodded. "I hope so, too."

Mr. Shaw stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Well, I better let you use the bathroom. I'm assuming you didn't get to go before?"

Amara shook her head. "I wasn't in here to use the toilet."

"You weren't? Then why were you in here?"

Amara bit her lip. "...I was...crying..."

"...Oh." Mr. Shaw frowned. "I'm sorry I made you cry, mo caraid." _[my mate.]_

Amara gazed at him. "What does that mean?"

Mr. Shaw raised a hand and cupped her face. "My mate."

He watched her blush and she leaned into his hand. "Mo caraid," she said. "I'll have to remember that one."

* * *

Amara was sitting in the principal's office with Mr. Shaw, Principal Anderson, Debra and Debra's parents. They were all waiting for Alpha Gabriel to arrive. Debra, now fully dressed, kept glaring over at Amara. However, Amara was still in nothing but her tennis shoes and Mr. Shaw's suit jacket which was very big on her and managed to cover up everything but her legs. Principal Anderson did not look happy. It was then that Gabriel finally walked in with a bundle of clothes for Amara.

"Hello," he said.

"Alpha," everyone said with a head bow.

He eyed Amara with a serious look. Clearly he wasn't happy with her. He handed her the clothes and she thanked him in a meek tone.

"Alpha Gabriel," the principal began. "Amara and Debra had a wolf fight in the bathroom. As you know, shifting on school grounds is prohibited along with fighting. I have half a mind to expel them both from school."

Amara flinched at the thought. She didn't want to be expelled but she knew she was in the wrong.

"However, this is Debra and Amara's first offense so I'm going to let it slide and only suspend them for a week. Besides, I assume you and Debra's parents will be dealing out a much more severe punishment."

Amara breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Gabriel. He had his arms crossed and he looked down at Amara. "You assume correctly, Principal Anderson."

Amara bit her lip, wondering about what kind of punishment Gabriel could dish out. Was he going to prevent her from attending the Metallica concert? She knew she didn't deserve to go but this felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"If I may, Principal Anderson," Debra's father began. "My daughter was merely defending herself from-"

"Amara was provoked. Granted, Debra didn't know Amara was in the bathroom at the time but she used extremely vulgar language when describing Amara."

Debra sneered at Amara. "She still deserved every word."

"Debra!" her father snapped. "You watch your mouth, young lady!"

"I don't care, Dad! Cursed is a whore and made my boyfriend go nuts!"

Gabriel snarled at Debra and she cringed. "Do _not_ talk about my daughter that way!" he barked loudly.

There were very few moments when Gabriel referred to Amara as his daughter. Each time he did, it warmed her heart. Gabriel growled loudly before patting Amara on the shoulder.

"Go get dressed, Amara."

Amara nodded and got up, leaving the office to go get changed. Mr. Shaw gave her a sympathetic look on the way out. When Amara reached the bathroom, she got into a stall and began to get dressed. Once dressed, she exited the stall just as some girls walked in, giggling until they saw Amara.

"Hey Amara," one of them said politely.

"Um, hello," Amara said with an eye blink.

Amara went to leave but they called out to her, making her stop.

"For what it's worth, we think it's so cool that you beat the crap out of Debra," another girl said.

Amara smirked. "Really?"

"Yeah. Debra is such a bitch."

Amara snickered lightly. "Yeah, she is."

"If you don't mind us asking, what did she say to you?" the first girl asked.

Amara sighed. "She didn't even know I was in here, but she called me a slut and an ugly, cursed tramp. She also said that what happened at the ball game, well, she thinks I did that on purpose."

"Well, we don't think that at all."

"You don't?" Amara asked, looking surprised.

"Not at all. Why would someone let a bunch of boys willingly chase them like a bunch of zombies?"

Amara let out a small laugh. "True. It was scary."

"Are you both gonna be expelled?"

Amara shook her head. "Debra and I are getting suspended for a week instead."

"Oh. Well that's good."

Amara nodded. "Well, I need to go back to the principal's office. Thanks for your kind words."

"You're welcome," they both said with smiles on their faces.

Amara smiled too and walked out of the bathroom, immediately feeling all eyes on her as students walked by. She clung to Mr. Shaw's jacket as if for safety as she scooted along the hallway back to the main office. Gabriel was outside of it waiting for her with Mr. Shaw. She handed the jacket back to her teacher.

"Thank you for letting me borrow this," she said.

"You're welcome," Rory said.

Gabriel sighed. "C'mon, let's go home." Amara walked with Gabriel with Tom and Henry following close behind. "Do you work tonight, Amara?"

"Yes."

"Okay, but that's the only place you're allowed to go right now. I hope you realize you're in serious trouble."

"I know," Amara said with a frown.

Gabriel opened the school door for her and she walked out. She made her way to her car, unlocked it and got in. She started it up and drove out of the parking lot.

When she got home, Sonya was outside waiting for her.

 _"Oh great,"_ Amara thought.

Amara turned off the car and got out, sheepishly walking towards Sonya who had her hands on her hips and looked mad as hell.

"Amara Jenson, just what has gotten into you?" she asked angrily.

Amara looked around to make sure no one else was around. Gabriel was busy talking to Tom and Henry, so she looked back at Sonya. "...Other than calling me a slut and an ugly, cursed tramp, and assuming what happened at the ball game was on purpose? She talked about having sex with my mate," Amara explained.

Sonya's expression softened. "Oh. Well, that would do it, then."

Amara bit her lip and tugged on her sweater sleeve. "Does this mean I can't go see Metallica this weekend?"

Sonya sighed. "I'll talk to Gabriel about that. In the mean time, you go in the house, young lady."

Amara nodded and walked, but then she stopped and turned to Sonya. "You're not gonna tell him about my mate, are you?"

"Well, I feel like I should, but I won't say who it is."

Amara frowned. "You can tell him I found my mate, just please don't tell him who it is. I don't want to get Mr. Shaw into trouble."

And with that, Amara went into the house.

* * *

After talking to Tom and Henry, Gabriel walked up to the house and greeted his wife with a kiss. "Did you scold her?"

"A little bit, although she told me a new bit of information that...somewhat justifies her behavior."

Gabriel raised a brow. "Oh? And what's that?"

Sonya rubbed her face. "Debra was talking about having sex with Amara's mate."

Gabriel's other brow raised, looking at his wife in shock. "Amara's mate? Wait, she found her mate?"

"Yes."

"Well who is it?"

"I'm not supposed to tell you."

Gabriel groaned. "Oh for Goddess' sake..."

"Just go easy on the girl. Mind you she was probably still on edge about what happened at the ball game yesterday."

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "I suppose you have a point. I'm gonna go have a chat with her."

"Oh...also, she asked about Metallica this weekend. I think we should still let her go."

Gabriel's eye twitched. "I'll think about that one."

Gabriel went inside the house and walked up the stairs to Amara's door. He knocked on it and Amara told him to come in. He walked in to see Benjamin sitting on the bed with Amara.

"Benjamin, I need to speak to Amara," he said.

Benjamin nodded before kissing Amara's knuckles and leaving the room. Amara was hugging her knees and looking quite down. Gabriel huffed and walked to her bed, then he sat on it and placed a hand on Amara's knee.

"Sonya said you found your mate," he said. Amara merely nodded. "You wanna tell me who it is?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Why not?"

"I don't want him to get into trouble."

"Why would he be in trouble if I knew?"

Amara sighed gently. "...Because having a relationship with him right now would be unethical and inappropriate."

"I don't understand."

Amara buried her face into her knees. "He's a teacher at the school."

"Ooooh." Suddenly Gabriel's mind clicked. The way Amara acted at the pool party, how Mr. Shaw seemed to always be at her rescue. It all made perfect sense now. "It's Mr. Shaw, isn't it..."

Amara groaned loudly. "Yes."

He wheezed out a laugh. "I don't understand why he's gonna get into trouble just because I know about it."

Amara looked at him. "You mean you're not gonna try to get him fired?"

"No, of course not. Although I would urge him to find a different teaching job, but...what are you gonna do about Benjamin?"

"I don't know. I tried breaking up with him last night but he wouldn't listen to me."

"Did you tell him why you had to break up?"

She shook her head. "I didn't have the heart to tell him why."

"I see. Well, I suggest you get the heart to tell him, Little One."

Amara sighed and covered her face. "Okay."

"Now, as far as the concert goes, you can still go. But you're grounded from everything else. And I want you to do some work with the Omegas of our pack."

"Okay," she said with a soft smile. "Thank you for letting me go to the concert."

* * *

Benjamin was in his room when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," he said

The door opened. It was Amara.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi. How are you doing?"

Amara sighed and walked in, sitting on his bed. "Better, but listen. We need to talk."

Benjamin groaned. "If you're trying to break up with me again, I-"

"I found my mate," she interrupted.

His jaw dropped. "What?"

"I found him at my birthday party."

"Well, who is it?"

Amara bit her lip. "...Mr. Shaw."

Benjamin got up abruptly. He was furious. "Why didn't you tell me this before?!" he yelled.

"I was afraid of how you'd react," she replied gently.

"Who else knows?"

"Janine, your mom and your dad."

Benjamin started walking to and fro, scratching the back of his head in frustration. This was utter bullshit.

 _"She's not our mate, Benjamin. She found hers. You have to let her go,"_ Jackson said.

 _"The hell I do!"_ Benjamin snarled in his mind. _"She's supposed to be mine!"_

_"Well she's not."_

Benjamin growled, walked to his nightstand and tossed it over, breaking his lamp while a few items went flying. Amara gasped and got off the bed, backing away from him. He walked to her and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"I don't care that he's your mate, Amara! You're still my girl!" Benjamin shouted furiously.

She shied away from him but he wouldn't let go. "Benjamin, let go of me!"

He shook her a little. "Dammit, Amara! You can't be with him! I forbid it!"

Amara stared at him in shock, followed by an angry expression. "You can't make me do anything!"

He pulled her in close and forced his mouth on hers. He was not going to let her go so easily. Amara tried to fight him off but Benjamin wouldn't let her. He pinned her against the wall as she struggled to push him away from her.

 _"Benjamin, stop!"_ Jackson snarled.

Benjamin was not listening to his wolf. He didn't care to. All he cared about was keeping Amara with him. Suddenly he felt pain in his lip and he backed off with a groan. Amara had bit him and he tasted blood. Before he could react further, she slapped him across the face. It stung pretty bad.

"It's over, Benjamin, and that's final!" she shrieked at him before storming out of his room.

Benjamin snarled loudly and walked to his dresser before shoving it over with a crash. He was breathing heavily and his whole body was tense. This was all Mr. Shaw's fault. He grabbed his jacket and keys before stomping out of his room and leaving the house. Benjamin knew exactly what to do now.

He was going to beat the crap out of Mr. Shaw.

No, he was going to _kill_ him.


	19. Pride

Amara listened through her door as Benjamin rampaged out of the house. She opened her bedroom door and walked out, then she descended the stairs just as Sonya and Gabriel came into view.

"What the hell was that all about?" Sonya asked.

Amara sighed in frustration. "I told Benjamin that Mr. Shaw and I are mates. He didn't take the news very well."

"Oh. Well, I'm sure he just needs to cool off," Sonya assured her.

Amara nodded although she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Would Benjamin go after Mr. Shaw in his rage? She hoped not. She bit her lip and looked at Gabriel.

"You don't think he'll go after Mr. Shaw, do you?" she asked him.

Gabriel chuckled. "Even if he does, Mr. Shaw will give him a run for his money, I'm sure."

Amara eyed him suspiciously. "What makes you say that?"

"Call it a hunch."

* * *

It was after school now and Mr. Shaw had just got done marking all the kid's papers. He stuffed them in his desk, grabbed his satchel, grabbed his coat and walked out of the classroom. He headed down the hallway and out the high school doors. As he put his coat on, he noticed a red Dodge Charger in the parking lot.

 _"Strange,"_ he thought. _"I've never seen that car here_ _before."_

Rory shrugged it off and went to his own Honda Accord. He got in and turned on the car, then he exited the parking lot. As he was driving along, he saw the Charger in his rearview mirror.

"Hmm," he said to himself.

Mr. Shaw brushed it off again and turned down the dirt road towards his house. And yet the car still followed him. Now he was getting suspicious. He pushed on the brakes until his car came to a complete stop, then he put it in park and got out. The driver of the car got out too.

It was Benjamin.

"Why are you following me, Benjamin?" Mr. Shaw asked loudly.

Benjamin came storming over and Mr. Shaw knew by the werewolf's body language that they were about to get into a fight.

"You son of a bitch! I'll kill ya!" Benjamin growled as he threw a punch.

Rory dodged it and backed up with his hands raised. "Woa woa woa! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Amara is mine! You stay the hell away from her!" Benjamin shouted angrily as he threw another punch.

This time it connected with Mr. Shaw's jaw and he staggered but quickly recovered. Now he was pissed off. He landed a punch of his own into Benjamin's face.

"Would you stop it?! You're acting like a buffoon!" Mr. Shaw snapped.

Benjamin rubbed his jaw and scowled at Rory before charging him. Mr. Shaw was smashed into his car and Benjamin started punching him again and again.

* * *

Amara was at work folding clothes when she got that sinking feeling again, like something was wrong. She tried to brush it off but the feeling just wouldn't go away. Even Dakota was acting anxious in the back of her mind.

 _"Something's wrong. I can feel it,"_ Dakota said.

 _"I know, but what could it be?"_ Amara asked.

_"I don't know."_

Amara saw some customers walk to the register with some items and she went over to ring them up. While doing that, the nagging feeling became stronger. She was utterly confused and wished she knew what was going on.

By the time her shift was done, she took out her phone and dialed Benjamin's number. She wanted to make sure he was okay, at least. No answer. Then she called Gabriel while walking through the mall, Tom and Henry close behind her.

 _"Hi Amara. How are you?"_ Gabriel asked on the other end.

"I'm okay. Is Benjamin home yet?"

_"No, why?"_

"I don't know. I just...something feels wrong."

_"What do you mean?"_

"I don't know. Dakota and I have been anxious almost through my entire shift, like something bad is happening somewhere."

_"..."_

"Gabriel?"

_"Amara. I want you, Tom and Henry to go check on Mr. Shaw at his house."_

Amara stopped walking. "Why?"

_"What you're feeling is something through the mate bond. Something may have happened to Mr. Shaw."_

Amara quickly started walking again towards the exit. She hung up the phone and started running. She got to her car and unlocked it.

"Amara, what's wrong?" Tom asked.

"We need to take a detour on the way home to see Mr. Shaw," she explained.

"Um, okay?"

Tom went to Henry's car as Amara got in hers. She turned the engine over and peeled out of the parking lot. While driving, she kept a close eye on her speedometer but she had a strong urge to go past the speed limit. The sinking feeling was getting worse and worse.

She finally got to the dirt road that led to Rory's house but his and Benjamin's car came into view far from the house. She stopped the car and got out, hearing the sounds of a wolf fight going on. Amara started running towards the sounds that echoed throughout the forest, Tom and Henry following close behind.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw two Alpha sized wolves fighting each other. They were Rory and Benjamin. Amara immediately stripped out of her clothes and shifted into her black wolf. She went running to Benjamin and collided into his side, causing him to get knocked over. She growled and snarled as she closed in on him while he got up and shook his head.

Benjamin growled at her in warning to back off but Amara was having none of that. How dare he go after her mate like this. Rory came to her side, his teeth bared and his hackles raised. Now it was two against one.

Benjamin pulled his ears back and crouched slightly, looking ready to pounce. He leaped right at Rory but Amara jumped and knocked Benjamin down. She towered over him, frothing at the mouth as she snarled. She was warning him to stay down, but he didn't listen. He bit her on the snout and she cried out with a yelp. Amara backed up, rubbing at her face with a paw as Rory came and bit Benjamin's back leg.

Benjamin barked in pain but he got up and him and Mr. Shaw went at it again. Amara was still pawing at her face when she heard a familiar shout.

"Benjamin! Mr. Shaw! Enough!"

Both the wolves stopped their fighting and looked over to see Gabriel standing by. Amara whimpered from the pain in her face.

"Shift!" Gabriel demanded in his Alpha tone.

Both Benjamin and Rory changed from wolf to human and Amara glanced away so as not to look at their naked forms.

"You too, Amara," Gabriel said calmly.

Amara groaned and did as she was told. As she shifted, she wiped her face. She was bleeding but her wounds were healing quickly. Gabriel looked over at Amara.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied.

Gabriel looked back at the two men and crossed his arms. "Alright. Just what in the hell is going on here?"

"Benjamin followed me from school and attacked me!" Mr. Shaw snarled.

Gabriel narrowed his eyes at Benjamin. "Is this true?" he demanded to know.

"Amara is mine!" Benjamin yelled. "I wanted him to stay the hell away from my girl, so I followed him and attacked him!"

"I'm not your girl anymore, Benjamin!" Amara shouted. "I'm done with you! And how dare you attack my mate!"

"I don't care that you're mates! I saw you first!"

"Oh shut up, Ben! Just shut up!" she screamed. "You treated me like crap for five years! You may have been nice the last couple of weeks but guess what? That doesn't change the last five years of being bullied, tortured, and hurt! I deserve better than that and if you think that what I want doesn't matter and that I'm just some piece of property that needs to be owned, then you don't deserve me at all!"

Benjamin's face softened and he looked at the ground, looking completely ashamed of himself. "Amara, I'm sorry. I-"

"Shut up! Your apologies don't mean crap to me! Just stay the hell away from me from now on! And if you ever attack my mate again, I'll kick your ass to kingdom come!"

Amara turned around and walked to her clothes, getting dressed into them.

"Amara, please. I-"

"Benjamin, go home," Gabriel said. "That's an order.

As Amara finished getting dressed, she heard Benjamin walk towards the road and Mr. Shaw walk over to her. He put a hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Amara inclined her head. "I'm fine," she said calmly. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," he replied.

Amara bit her lip and wrapped her arms around Rory, putting her cheek to his chest. "I knew something was wrong. I could feel it," she said with a whimper.

She felt his arms envelope her and a kiss on the top of her head. "That's because of our bond, mo caraid." _[my mate.]_

Amara snuggled into him and shut her eyes. "I'm just glad that you're safe now."

He stroked her hair and chuckled. "Thanks for coming to my rescue."

Gabriel walked up to the both of them. "I'm really sorry about my son, Mr. Shaw. He can be a bit...volatile at times."

Amara hmphed. "Jealous little twerp. He's lucky I didn't neuter him with my teeth," she said.

Mr. Shaw burst out laughing and looked down at her. "My my, what an imagination."

"I'm being serious," she grunted. "No one attacks my mate."

Mr. Shaw tensed a little. "So you know, Alpha Forrester?"

He shrugged. "I took a wild guess this morning at the house after my wife told me Amara found her mate."

"Ah, I see."

"Might I make a suggestion, Mr. Shaw?"

"Of course."

"I won't report you or anything, but you should probably start looking for a new job if you plan on being with Amara."

"I'm planning on it."

Amara looked up at him in shock. "You are?"

"Yes, I am. As soon as I find a new job, I will put in my two weeks notice at school. But until then, we must be careful not to indulge our urges, okay? That means no more beating up people who talk about sleeping with me."

Amara giggled with a nod. "Agreed."

Gabriel cleared his throat. "Well, I see you two lovebirds have a lot to discuss. If you'll excuse me, I have a son to talk to. Amara, I'll see you at home."

"Alright, Gabriel."

Gabriel turned and walked away. Amara looked back at Rory, remembering that he was naked. This caused heat to rise in her cheeks.

"Um, you should probably get dressed," Amara said to her mate.

"Right," Mr. Shaw said.

He kissed her forehead and let go of her in search of his clothes. Amara took a glance at his rump and her cheeks got even hotter.

 _"Damn, that's a fine behind,"_ she thought.

* * *

It was dark in Benjamin's room. He was sitting on the bed thinking about what he had done. He was ashamed of how he acted. Moreso, he wondered why he'd acted that way. What was wrong with him? He'd tried so hard to make things up to Amara and he blew it. Now she'd never forgive him. He was such an idiot.

Suddenly there was a knock on his door.

"Come in," he said glumly as he stared out his window.

The door creaked open and Benjamin could tell that it was his father based on the scent that wafted into the room. The bed dipped next to him and his father sighed.

"I want you to tell me why you thought it was a smart idea to attack another pack member," Gabriel said.

Benjamin sighed, running a hand through his blonde hair. "I don't know. It's just...when Amara told me she found her mate, I panicked and got angry. I didn't want to lose her and I tried to force her to stay. Then I thought if I took Mr. Shaw out of the equation, she'd..." Benjamin groaned and held his head in his hands. "I thought she'd come back to me."

"And how were you planning on taking him out of the equation?" Gabriel inquired.

"By threatening him. Beating him senseless. Killing him."

"Uh huh. And exactly what were you going to do afterwards?"

Benjamin huffed. "I don't know. I hadn't thought that far."

Gabriel rested a hand on Benjamin's shoulder. "Well, you do realize you're in deep shit, right?"

"Yes. Especially with Amara."

Gabriel chuckled. "Yeah. She said you were lucky that she didn't neuter you with her teeth."

Benjamin wheezed out a laugh. "You gotta be kidding me."

"Nope. She really said that." Both the wolves laughed a little and Gabriel removed his hand from his son's shoulder. "Listen, Benjamin. You really need to stop acting this way. Your mother and I didn't raise you to act like a spoiled brat."

Benjamin scoffed. "I know, but sometimes I can't help myself. She was my girlfriend and...I really treated her wrong. She tried to break up with me last night and I wouldn't listen. I should have listened." Benjamin looked at Gabriel. "What can I do to make amends?"

"Well, for right now, keep your distance. She probably won't speak to you for a long time, but you must be patient. Then, if and when she speaks to you, you grovel."

"But I'm gonna be an Alpha. Alphas don't grovel."

Gabriel laughed. "Son, any time I upset your mother when I've done something wrong, I grovel. You just don't see it. See, that's the thing about being an Alpha. Knowing when to put your pride aside, especially for the ones you love."

Benjamin quirked his mouth to the side, staring at his hands. "Okay."

"In the mean time, I want you to go to the school tomorrow and give Mr. Shaw a formal apology. Then you are going to help the Omegas perform work until I deem you've done enough. And you're grounded, too."

Benjamin nodded. "Yes, Father."

Gabriel pat his son's knee and left the room.

 _"Well, that wasn't the punishment I was expecting,"_ Benjamin thought.

 _"Consider yourself lucky,"_ Jackson said with a growl.

Benjamin knew his wolf was angry with him and he deserved it. He deserved Amara's anger too.

_"What a mess I've made..."_


	20. Rogues

A cup of hot cocoa was settled between Amara's palms as she watched him look for a snack in his kitchen. She brought the mug up to her mouth, took a sip and smacked her lips.

"So, let's talk about boundaries," she said.

Rory paused in his search. "Boundaries?"

"Yes. Like, are we allowed to kiss as long as it's somewhere private?" she asked, taking another sip.

A low chuckle escaped him as he found a bag of Milano cookies. "Yes. I don't think I could wait two days to kiss you, let alone two weeks."

"I bet I could."

He looked over at her with an arched eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"

She smirked. "Maybe."

He walked to her, set the bag of cookies on the table, pulled her up and pressed his mouth to hers. Amara moaned into his mouth and dug her fingers through his hair while his own gripped the back of her sweater. When Amara needed to breathe, he pulled back with a smirk.

"Still think you can wait?" he inquired mischeviously.

She shook her head vehemently. "No," she said breathlessly.

A chortle left his lungs and he kissed her again. She tightened her grip in his red hair and pressed her body into his as close as possible. A delighted moan came out of him and his hands roamed her body down to her rump. She gasped and looked at him.

"Mr. Shaw..." she purred.

Rory barked with laughter and squeezed her butt cheeks. "I'm sorry, but ya got a beautiful, plump arse."

Amara smacked him playfully and giggled. "Your ass is beautiful too."

He lifted her up by her ass and she instinctively hooked her legs around him. Rory put her rear end on the kitchen table and proceeded to make out with her, Amara pulling him even closer to her body. Her lungs started to burn from the lack of air and she pulled back, gasping for it.

"Mmm, tha thu a 'blasad cho math," he said. _[You taste so good.]_

Amara snickered after taking a moment to translate what he said. "Bidh thu, um...cu...cuideachd a 'blasad math." _[You also taste good.]_

Rory looked at her in shock. "Miss Jenson, have you been learning Gaelic behind my back?"

"Glè bheag, ach tha." _[Very little, but yes.]_

He barked with laughter. "You little sneak. What else do you know?"

"Bhiodh an cat a 'ruith an radan. Rug an cat air an radan. Dh'ith an cat an radan." _[The cat chased the rat. The cat caught the rat. The cat ate the rat.]_

Rory laughed once more. "Your pronunciations are pretty good."

"Thank you."

"How have you been learning?"

"I got some books at Barnes and Noble."

He looked shocked once more. "You've been teaching yourself?"

"Uh huh. I wanted to surprise you one day."

"Oh. Well, color me surprised."

Amara giggled and sighed, kissing him gently. "I should finish my hot cocoa and go home."

Rory groaned sadly. "But why?"

"Because I'm grounded."

"Are we still going to the concert?

"We are. Gabriel was merciful."

"Yes!" Rory exclaimed happily. "I'm so excited."

"Me too."

Rory placed his lips on hers softly. "Okay, finish your cocoa. And let's exchange numbers."

"Okay."

After giving each other their phone numbers, Amara finished her hot cocoa, gave Mr. Shaw another kiss and headed out the door. Tom and Henry were by Tom's car waiting for her and she suddenly felt bad about making them wait.

"What took you so long?" Tom said with a smirk.

"Nothing. Just had to discuss things, is all," she replied with a blush on her cheeks.

"For an hour?!" Henry laughed.

"There was a lot to talk about."

"Uh huh. Suuure," Henry said before making kissing noises at her.

"Shut up," she said, giggling loudly.

Amara got into her car and started it up, then she drove away from Mr. Shaw's house with her guards close behind. It didn't take long for her to get home and as she pulled into her driveway and shut off her car, she let out a happy sigh.

 _"Rory is such a good kisser,"_ she thought.

She got out of the car and waved to Tom and Henry. They waved back and took off quietly as Amara walked to her house. She unlocked the door and walked inside, shutting and locking the door behind her. When she turned around, she saw Benjamin waiting for her. With an eye roll, she walked past him and up the stairs.

"Amara," he said behind her.

She didn't stop. She didn't want to stop. She didn't care for Benjamin's apologies or anything else he had to say. As she reached her door, she heard him right behind her.

"Amara," he repeated.

Amara entered her room, turned on the light and slammed the door in his face before locking it. When she went to her bed she heard what sounded like paper and she turned to see a piece of paper slide under her door followed by footsteps walking away from her door.

"Nope," she said, walking over and grabbing the note.

Amara crumpled it up and threw it in the trash. She plopped on her bed and turned on her tv to watch some shows, but nothing looked interesting. She eyed the trash can, her curiousity peaking.

"No, no no no," she said with a shaking of her head. "I won't read it."

 _"But I'm curious,"_ Dakota said.

 _"Why? We're with Rory now, so why should we read what that piece of crap Benjamin has to say?"_ Amara said back.

_"Because I'm curious._ _And so are you."_

Amara pouted and leaned back on her bed, shutting the tv off. She was angry at Benjamin. In fact, she was _livid_ because of his behavior that day. She never wanted to speak to or see his face ever again. She hated him with a passion.

And yet, her curiousity peaked.

Amara shook her head again before grabbing one of her books on learning Gaelic. She tried to forget about the note. She tried to concentrate on speaking words of Gaelic and pronouncing each one correctly.

But still, her curiousity nagged at her like an old crone.

Finally she gave in and walked to her garbage, reaching down and picking up the crinkled piece of paper. As she opened the note, she sighed before reading it.

_The List of What I'd Do For You_

_-Picnics so I can feed you._

_-Concerts of bands that I don't enjoy just to make you happy._

_-Lassoing the moon and pulling it to your window._

_-Pancakes every morning because they're your favorite._

_-Anything and everything else that you could possibly think of, I would do._

Amara grumbled. She didn't know whether to be annoyed or touched.

 _"Nope, definitely annoyed,"_ she thought after a while.

She crumpled up the paper again and tossed it into the garbage, then she went back to her reading.

* * *

"I'm so excited!" Amara practically screeched as her and Rory parked in the airport parking lot.

This made him laugh. "Me too," he said.

They got out of the car and grabbed their luggage from the trunk, then they started walking through the lot towards the airport. "Man, I can't believe Ozzy Osbourne is going to be opening for the show!"

"Ah, you're an Ozzy fan, huh?"

"You're not?"

"I am, just not as much as a Metallica fan."

Amara nodded and soon they were walking through the outer doors to the inside of the airport. "I've never been on an airplane before," she stated, looking around at the airport. She sniffed the air. She'd also never really been around humans before. They smelled so...interesting.

"Never?"

"Nope."

"Well, you're in for quite a ride, then," Rory commented.

"Should I be worried?" she asked as they got in line for their plane tickets.

"No. I'm just glad it won't be as long as a trip as it was coming from Scotland."

"How long was that plane ride?"

"About ten hours, and I had to do a lay over in Toronto."

"Geez. Was it hard to do that?"

"Yes. It was quite cramped since I was in coach."

"Coach?" she asked, looking confused.

"That's the middle to lower class seats, mo caraid. First class is much better, I hear." _[my mate.]_

Amara grinned. "Well, it's a good thing that Gabriel got us first class tickets, then."

They finally got to the front of the line and got their tickets after checking their luggage, then they headed over to their terminal to wait. After what seemed like forever to Amara, a flight attendant announced that they were starting to board.

Once on the plane, Amara looked up at the shelves above the seats. "What are those for?" she asked.

"For your carry on bag," Rory replied before opening up a slot to put his bag in.

"I see," she said.

They both sat in their seats, Amara opting to hold onto her bag instead of putting it in the overhead shelves. Once settled in, Amara looked out the window at the other planes. She was in awe at the size of them.

"They're so big," she pointed out.

Mr. Shaw chuckled. "Yes, planes are pretty big."

Amara pouted at him. "Are you mocking me?"

"Wouldn't dream of it, mo caraid," he replied with a smile. _[my mate]_

"Hmph," she said, crossing her arms.

This made Rory laugh. "You're cute when you sulk."

Amara stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed again.

Once everyone was boarded, the flight attendant made the announcements of a greeting, where the emergency exits were, how to use an oxygen mask in case of cabin depressurization and a flotation device should they land or crash into water. Amara's mouth dropped open from the explanation. Now she was nervous about flying.

Soon the plane departed from the terminal onto the runway and Amara watched from the window as the plane was in motion. Eventually they got in the line for take off and once the plane started going, she felt a bad pit in her stomach. It began to ascend and Amara gasped at the amount of turbulence as they went into the air, grasping Rory's arm out of fear.

"It's alright, Amara. The turbulence is normal," he assured her as he pat her hand.

She dared a glance out the window and watched as the land beneath them got farther and farther away. Houses got smaller and soon she was pretty relaxed once they got above the clouds.

"It's so pretty," she commented.

"Yes it is," Rory said. "So we should rent a car once we land in Minneapolis."

"Yeah," Amara said absentmindedly, still staring at the clouds.

As the plane flew on, Amara started drifting off to sleep.

* * *

"Amara," Rory said softly, waking her from her slumber.

"Hmm?" she muttered.

"We just landed," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

She rubbed her eyes and blinked widely a few times to try and wake herself up. She saw a blanket was covering her and she sighed.

"Damn, I really wanted to enjoy the ride and get some airplane food."

Rory chuckled softly. "Trust me, you didn't miss much."

 _"Ladies and gentlemen, we've arrived in Minneapolis, MN. The temperature is currently fifty six degrees and the time is four thirty nine pm. Thank you for flying with us and enjoy your stay in Minneapolis_ _,"_ someone said over the comms.

Rory and Amara got up and grabbed their things before exiting the plane. When they entered the airport, Amara looked around in shock. The place was a lot bigger than the airport back in Wyoming.

The couple found a rental car business and got a nice black four door sedan to drive around in. They also got some brochures for attractions.

"I want to see the Mall of America," Amara said. "It's supposed to be the biggest mall in America."

Rory nodded. "Okay, we can do that after we drop our stuff off at the hotel."

Amara giggled with glee as they put their luggage into the car. "Oh my Goddess, it's really happening! We get to see them tomorrow, I can't believe it!"

Rory laughed. "First things first, Amara. We have a lot of exploring to do."

A gust of wind came up and Amara zipped up her jacket more. "It's a little chilly," she said.

"Just a wee bit," Mr. Shaw replied.

They got into the car and started it up, then Rory put in the directions for their hotel. As they drove, Amara looked around at everything and her mouth was agape the whole time.

"Does Glasgow look like this?" she asked.

"No. Glasgow is a lot bigger."

"Huh." Amara looked at him as he drove. "Think you could take me there someday?"

Rory shrugged. "Perhaps."

"How big was your pack back home?"

"Oh, very big. About two thousand members."

Amara gasped. "Two thousand members?! How does an Alpha keep track of all of them?"

"Very carefully."

Amara laughed. "No way."

"Yes way."

Eventually they arrived at the Celeste of St. Paul Hotel and Amara nodded in approval. "Looks very nice," she said.

"Mmhmm," Mr. Shaw agreed.

They had a valet take their car after a bellboy collected their luggage. Amara sniffed the air, taking in all the scents of the city. It certainly smelled much different than back in Wyoming. There was a sour smell in the air but it was subtle. It reminded her of when her old pack was attacked and she immediately became on edge.

"Rory, I think I smell rogues," she whispered as they walked into the hotel.

He took a sniff of the air. "Crap, you're right. Let's get to the room quickly."

They hurried to the front desk to check in under their reservation. Once that was done, they rushed to the elevator with the bellboy and pressed the button for the top floor. Apparently Gabriel had paid for one of the best suites in the hotel. Once at the top, the look elevator dinged and opened. They walked out and Amara quickly found their room. The sour smell was gone but her nerves were still on edge. She slipped the card into the door and opened it. What she saw took her breath away and made her forget all about the rogue smell.

It was a vast room with cream colored walls and wood lined windows with leaf carvings into them, and part of the windows had glass decorations like you see in churches. The bed was covered with a blue velvet blanket and the bed frame was made of wood and metal. There was a white couch near the end of the bed and a round wooden table near the window with four purple plush chairs. There was a glass table in front of the couch with a gold painted globe on it.

Amara squealed and ran to the bathroom to take a look. Inside was a glass door shower, two white sinks with gold colored water handles, two oval mirrors overlooking the sinks, blue and white walls, intricately decorated white and black floor tiling, and a great bit white half egg shell shaped tub. She poked her head out of the bathroom and smiled brightly at Rory.

"You have _got_ to see the bathroom!" she exclaimed.

Rory chuckled as he tipped the bellboy. "In a minute, mo caraid." _[my mate.]_

After the bellboy left, Rory walked over to the bathroom. "I wonder what rogues are doing in human territory..." he wondered out loud.

"Should we be worried?" Amara asked.

"I don't think so but perhaps we should call Alpha Gabriel about it?"

Amara rolled her eyes. "If we do, then he'll make us go home."

"So what do you suggest?"

"We ignore it unless it becomes a problem. In the mean time..."

She suddenly grabbed Rory by his coat collar and kissed him deeply. He reciprocated the kiss and moaned against her mouth. Hands wandered everywhere as Amara and Rory slowly inched towards the bed. She fell back on it with him and they groaned out as the kiss continued.

"I can't believe, mmm, we have a whole, mmm, weekend to, mmmmm, spend time together," Amara said in between kisses.

"Me either," Rory replied, kissing down from her mouth to her jaw, then to her throat.

Amara cooed and shivered when his lips traveled to her marking spot, placing soft kisses on it.

"I want to mark you so bad, Amara," he growled.

"Oh Rory," she moaned. "We really shouldn't."

"I know. It would, mmm, raise too many...questions at school."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Mr. Shaw groaned. Amara gave him one last kiss before he got up and walked to the door. Amara rolled over on her stomach and watched him open it with a big grin on her face.

However, when he opened the door, she could smell that sour scent again and she got up immediately.

"Can I help you?" Rory asked with irritation lacing his voice.

"Yes. We're looking for Amara Jenson."

Amara slowly walked towards the door so she could see who was there. Rory let a low growl escape him.

"What do you want with her, rogues?" he barked.

Amara could see two men at the door, both with slicked black hair and blue eyes. They looked like twins. They both looked at each other before looking at Amara and Rory.

"We're here on behalf of the Blood Pearl Pack. The Alpha wishes to speak to Miss Jenson about becoming the Luna."


	21. The Contract

Rory's eyes narrowed further. "She's not interested in being the Blood Pearl's Luna," he said with a vicious snarl at the end.

"If it's all the same to you, we'd like to hear it from her own mouth," one of the men said.

Amara stepped up to the door. "I'm not interested, as my _mate_ already told you," she said.

"Your mate?" the other man inquired. He took a closer look at Amara and Rory. "Neither one of you are marked."

"So what? We're still mates. Why we haven't marked each other yet is none of your business," Amara snapped at them.

Rory looked at Amara and smiled briefly. _"That's my bonnie lass,"_ he thought.

"Now if there's nothing else, my mate and I would like to enjoy our evening together," she said with a fake smile.

She grabbed the door and slammed it in their faces. This made Mr. Shaw guffaw loudly.

"You're such a sassy little thing," he laughed.

Amara beamed at him. "Damn straight I am."

"I think we need to call Gabriel now, though," he said.

"Nooooo, then he'll make us come home..." she whined.

Mr. Shaw put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a serious look. "Amara, two rogues working on behalf of the Blood Pearl's Alpha followed us all the way from Wyoming. How they knew we were leaving for Minnesota, I have no idea. How they knew what hotel we were at, I also have no idea."

Amara looked deep in thought before she frowned. "Do you think someone from our pack told them?"

Mr. Shaw blinked a few times, then he nodded after he considered this information. "Yeah. How else would they know where we were?"

"Crap," Amara said, holding her forehead. "Yeah, we better call Gabriel."

Rory pulled out his phone and dialed Gabriel's number. They were too far out of range to use the mind link. After two rings, the line picked up.

_"Gabriel Forrester speaking."_

"Alpha Forrester, it's Mr. Shaw."

_"Oh hi. How are things?"_

He looked at a worried Amara and pulled her close with one arm. "We just had a run in with two rogues."

_"...Say that again?"_

"We had a run in with two rogues working on behalf of the Blood Pearl's Alpha. Said the Alpha wanted to talk to Amara about becoming the Luna of that pack."

_"Oh for the love of..."_

"I know."

_"How's Amara?"_

"She's okay."

_"Let me talk to her."_

Rory handed Amara the phone. "He wants to talk to you."

Amara nodded and took the phone. "Gabriel," she said. "Yes, I'm okay. Just a little worried on how the hell two rogues knew who we were and what hotel we were at. Mr. Shaw and I smelled them as soon as we walked into the hotel."

Amara walked away from Rory and his fists clenched. He was furious. How dare the Alpha of Blood Pearl send people to follow them here. How dare he try to talk to his mate.

"Yes, I know Gabriel," Amara said. "Oh really? Well, that'll suit us just fine, but they won't be able to get into the concert."

"What's going on?" Rory whispered.

Amara put her hand over the phone. "Tom and Henry are coming. We have to meet them at the airport later tonight."

"That's fine by me," he said.

The more werewolves to watch over Amara, the better.

"Rory's fine with it," Amara said on the phone. Suddenly she giggled. "Yes, I'm calling him by his first name now."

He laughed and motioned for her to come to him so she did. He embraced her while she continued to talk on the phone.

"Alright, Gabriel. I'll talk to you later. Bye." Amara hung up the phone and gave it back to Rory. "Here you go."

He took the phone and put it back in his pocket before looking at Amara's new enchanted necklace. It was a gold plated chain with a camphor and bloodstone crystal pendant on it. It was the imbued magic in the crystals that kept her scent in check. He held it in his palm and sighed.

"I want to smell you," he said.

"You can smell me after we mate," she chastised playfully.

"But it's so addictive," he whimpered. "Just one sniff?"

Amara sighed. "Just one sniff."

She walked over to one of the nightstands and reached behind her neck. Mr. Shaw watched her take the necklace off and he shuddered when he smelled her. His eyes went black and he marched over to her, grabbing her from behind and kissing on her neck.

"Rory," she moaned.

"Mmm, mine," he whispered.

Amara giggled against him and turned around. "Mine," she whispered back before kissing him.

He wrapped her up in his arms and nipped her bottom lip. She was so intoxicating and her touch overwhelmed all his overheightened senses. Rory slid his hands into the back of her jeans and panties and held onto her butt cheeks.

"So soft," he muttered.

Amara breathed against him as her hands traveled under the back of his sweater. Her nails scratched and he growled into her mouth.

"Rory, I need to put the necklace back on," she said.

"Mmm, just a few more minutes, mo caraid," he mumbled. _[my mate]_

"Ha, I told you one sniff, you've gotten more than that. Now c'mon, let me-"

Rory pressed his mouth on hers deeply and she kissed him back. Amara moaned softly which drove him to be aroused even further.

 _"I can't get enough of her,"_ he thought. _"And she's all mine."_

* * *

A tall, brooding man in a dark blue suit with black, graying hair and yellow eyes was staring out the window of his suite when the two twin rogues invaded his presence by walking through the hotel door. He had his hands clasped behind his back as he looked out at the city.

"So, what did she say?" the man asked the two.

"She said no," one of them said.

"And you could not convince her otherwise?" the older man asked, turning to look at them.

"The man she is with is her mate, Alpha Franklin."

Franklin sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. This just got more complicated, but it was of no matter. All they needed to do was eliminate Amara's mate, if need be.

"That should not have stopped you!" he growled angrily.

The rogues and the rest of the suited men in the room bowed their heads. "Yes, Alpha," they all said.

Franklin walked to the twins. "Now let's go get her."

"And what about her mate?" one of the twins asked.

"We'll kill him if we must."

The twins nodded in acknowledgement and the Alpha and the twins left the room.

* * *

Amara finally managed to get her necklace back on but not without losing some of her clothes in the process. Standing in nothing but her bra and panties as she clasped the necklace back on, she watched Rory's eyes go back to icy blue. He was in nothing but his black jeans.

 _"Damn, he is so fine,"_ she thought as she laughed.

 _"Yes, he is,"_ Dakota agreed.

Rory stared at Amara in horror. "Oh no, what did I do?" he asked her.

"Nothing," she replied. "We just made out. A lot. And you took some of my clothes off."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I rather enjoyed it."

Amara grabbed her sweater and pants before putting them on and Rory did the same with his sweater. As they finished dressing, there was a knock on the door. Mr. Shaw grumbled and went to answer it but Amara stopped him.

"Wait, it might be those guys again," she whispered lowly.

Rory nodded and backed away from the door, holding her hand. "What do we do?" he whispered back.

"Pretend we're not here."

"We can hear you," she heard the men say.

"Crap," she said. "I'm still not talking to him!" she called out.

"I ask for only a few minutes of your time, Miss Jenson," a new voice said.

 _"That must be the Alpha of the Blood Pearl Pack,"_ Dakota said.

Rory growled as he neared the door. "As she told your rogues before, she's not interested!"

The door cracked open and Amara jumped back with a gasp. Rory got in front of her as the twins and an older man walked in. He must have been in his early forties and he had hypnotizing yellow eyes. Amara gulped as she looked at him from behind her mate. She put her hands on Rory's back.

"Well, now that the door is out of the way..." the Alpha said, looking around at the room before settling his eyes on Amara. "We can talk."

"I'm not talking to you!" she spat out.

The Alpha chuckled. "Now now, no reason to be hostile, girl."

"You just broke our door!" Amara growled. "That's a perfectly good reason to be hostile!"

The man inclined his head. "Point taken." He found a chair and sat in it, crossing his legs and sighing. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Alpha Franklin Morrison of the Blood Pearl Pack."

Amara clung to the back of Rory's sweater. "I don't care who you are. I will not be your Luna."

Franklin looked at Rory. "You must be her mate."

"I am," Rory snarled. "And you are not taking her from me."

Alpha Franklin chuckled and snapped his fingers. The twins pulled out guns and pointed them at Rory.

"These guns have silver bullets in them," the Alpha explained. "You will listen to what I have to say or they will shoot your mate."

Amara frowned as Rory's body tensed. She got around her mate and stood in front of him. "Over my dead body!"

"Amara..." Rory uttered.

Alpha Franklin chuckled again. "I do love your spirit, girl." He stood up and walked to her. "You'd make the perfect Luna for my pack."

"I'm not going to be your Luna!" Amara yelled.

Rory settled his hands on Amara's shoulders and she was comforted by her mate's presence. Alpha Franklin made a dropping motion with his hands and the twins lowered their weapons, causing Amara to breathe a little easier.

"Miss Jenson, you might reconsider after you hear what I have to say," Franklin said.

Amara scoffed. "I highly doubt it."

Franklin smirked. "About eighteen years ago, shortly after you were born, your father and I made an arrangement."

Amara's face paled. "What sort of arrangement?" she asked.

"He and your mother knew you would be a black wolf. They knew you would become a...problem for all the unmated males of your pack. So, they promised you to me in exchange for their pack's safety."

Amara felt her heart drop but she narrowed her eyes at the Alpha. "I don't believe you! My mother and father would have never done such a thing!"

"Oh, but they did. You were supposed to come with me on your thirteenth birthday, but then your pack was attacked by rogues and you escaped."

Amara felt her knees weaken but she locked them to stand her ground. "So, even if all that was true, which I don't think it is, what makes you think I would ever honor such an agreement?"

Franklin reached into his suit and pulled out a folded up piece of paper before holding it out to her. "If you won't, the Elders will make sure that you do."

Amara eyed the man with suspicion before grabbing the paper and opening it. It was a signed contract that involved the exchange of one Amara Jenson to one Alpha Franklin Morrison for the protection of the Pale Moon Pack. At the bottom were three signatures. One was Alpha Franklin Morrison's signature, another was a witness, and the third was the signature of Alpha Michael Jenson. Amara put a hand to her chest. Rory leaned his head over her shoulder.

"But her old pack is dead now. This contract is null and void," Rory said.

"Not according to the Elders," Franklin corrected. "They've heard my motion and are in the process of passing it."

Amara slowly walked to the bed and sat down, reading the contract over and over. This couldn't be happening. Her father had bartered her because she was considered a curse. Tears filled her eyes and she sniffled as drops fell onto the paper.

"I know this must come as a shock to you, Miss Jenson," Franklin said sadly. "But what's done is done."

Amara raised her head as she crumpled up the contract. "You know what? You can take this piece of paper and shove it right up your ass! I don't care what arrangement you had with my father! I am not going with you, I am not going to be your Luna, and that is the end of it!"

Franklin sighed as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "So you would defy the Elders?" he asked her.

"Yes! Now get out!"

Rory went to Amara's side. "You heard the lady. Leave."

Franklin frowned. "That is unfortunate, but I will have you, Miss Jenson. One way or another."

The twins and Franklin left the room, shutting the door behind them. Amara fell to her knees and burst into tears. Rory knelt at her side and held her in his arms.

"Oh Rory, what are we gonna do?" Amara sobbed.

"Don't you worry," he said. "I'm gonna call Gabriel and we're gonna go to the Elders about this. I bet that contract isn't even legitimate."

"But it is. It's my father's signature on this piece of paper," Amara cried.

"Then we'll fight this, okay? You are not being taken away from me."

Amara sniffled and buried her face into Rory's shoulder, putting her arms around him. "They...they can't do this to me. They just can't."

"And they won't." Rory grabbed her face and forced her to look at him. "I'm not losing you over some stupid contract."

"We need to call Gabriel."

Rory nodded and pulled out his phone.

* * *

Alpha Gabriel was in his study when his phone rang. He looked at it to see it was Mr. Shaw so he answered.

"Ah, Mr. Shaw," he said.

_"We've got trouble, Alpha. This...Alpha Franklin of the Blood Pearl Pack came to see us. Apparently he has grounds for taking Amara as his Luna."_

Gabriel stood up. "What grounds?"

 _"A contract he and her father made years ago. In exchange for the safety of the Pale Moon pack from...Amara's black wolf curse, she was promised to Alpha Franklin._ _And according to him, the Elders are in the process of passing his motion."_

Gabriel rubbed his face. "Dammit all to hell..."

_"What do we do?"_

"You must complete the mating process. There's no way she can be the pack's Luna if she's already mated."

_"...I don't think she's ready for that."_

"Well she better get ready. Her freedom depends on it. I suggest you do it as quickly as possible."

_"I will discuss it with her. Thank you, Alpha."_

Gabriel hung up the phone and damn near slammed it on his desk. There was a knock on the door and it opened to reveal Sonya.

"Is something wrong, my love?" she asked Gabriel.

"Yes. You're gonna want to sit down for this, Sonya."

* * *

Rory looked at his phone and frowned before looking at Amara with pity. She wiped her eyes and sniffled.

"What did he say?" she inquired.

Rory rested his hands on her shoulders. "We need to mark each other and mate. He said they can't force you to be a Luna if you're already mated to someone."


	22. Rose Petals and Candles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated M for sexual content.

Amara's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Excuse me?" she inquired in shock.

"Yeah, that's what Gabriel said," Rory replied with a shrug.

"But...I don't think I'm ready for that yet," she said. "Not the...mating part, at least."

"Well, what choice do we have?"

Amara frowned and lowered her head. "Well, I just didn't want our first time together to be forced like this. And you know I'm a virgin."

Rory frowned at her. "I know, but if you have any other ideas, I'm willing to listen."

She opened her mouth but then she shut it. She had no ideas. None whatsoever.

 _"C'mon, Amara. We've been_ dying _to mate and you know it,"_ Dakota said.

 _"Yea, but...but I..."_ Amara stammered in her mind.

_"But nothing. Just do it."_

Amara sighed and rubbed her face. "Alright, alright. This is not...ideal but we don't have a choice. I just wish my first time could be...special."

Rory walked up to her, grabbed her hands in his and kissed them. "We'll make it special. For right now, let's go get something to eat. I know food helps calm your nerves."

Amara grinned a little. "Yeah, I could eat."

"We should probably tell the hotel that some maniac broke our door."

She giggled this time. "Yeah."

The two put their shoes and coats on and walked out the door. They took the elevator to the first floor and informed one of the employees about the door situation. They were asked if they'd like to switch suites for the time being and the couple agreed. The employee said they'd take care of everything, including bringing their luggage over to the new room. In the process, Rory whispered something to the employee that Amara didn't catch and she looked at him with scrutiny.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"What was that about?" Amara inquired.

"You'll see later."

Amara and Rory exited the hotel after getting their new hotel cards and the valet brought their car. They got in and drove off to go find some food. Amara really wanted to go to the Mall of America so Rory put in the directions on the car GPS. As they drove out of Saint Paul towards Bloomington, Amara stared out the window and sighed, going over things in her head. Nevermind that the Elders were possibly going to force her to become Luna of some pack, but the fact that her parents promised her to some stranger in the first place was more than unsettling. It was an act of betrayal, in her opinion. Especially when they never mentioned it. Not once. It infuriated her.

It was also highly suspect. Her parents had never shown her anything but love as parents should. They'd never raised a hand to her, never belittled her, nothing negative ever. Not even when she got into trouble. They exacted proper discipline for any little childish crimes she ever committed. So how did this contract even exist? And why didn't they tell her about it?

"Amara," Rory said, breaking Amara from her thoughts. "We're here."

She blinked a few times and looked around at the parking lot they were in. She saw the big building with the "Mall of America" sign on it and she gasped.

"This place is huge!" she exclaimed giddily, her previous depressing thoughts now on the back burner.

Rory chuckled and turned off the car. "Let's go, mo caraid." _[my mate]_

They got out and walked into the huge building. There were shops and kiosks everywhere and Amara clapped and giggled with delight as she saw that there was a big amusement park smack dab in the middle of the building.

"Oh please, let's go on some rides!" she asked with a squeak.

Rory wrapped an arm around her with a chuckle. "We will, but don't you want to eat first?"

"Oh yeah! I'm starving. Where should we eat?"

Amara noticed a little directions machine and she walked to it. She looked at the restaurant section and gasped.

"What is it?" Rory asked her.

"Bubba Gump Shrimp Company! Let's eat there!"

"Isn't that from Forrest Gump?"

"Yes!"

"Then let's go!"

Amara giggled and grabbed Rory's hand as they raced through the mall in the direction of the restaurant. When they got there, they were greeted by a guy in a big red fuzzy shrimp suit. Amara thought it was hilarious. They got in and were seated then they browsed their menus. They ordered the Run Across America Sampler as an appetizer first along with two Cokes. When those came, they both dug in hungrily. After that, they ordered Of Course They Have Scampi and the Grilled Seafood Trio. While they waited for their main order, they downed their cokes and got refills.

"Oh man, that sampler was so good!" Rory exclaimed, patting his belly.

"Well, I hope you have room for dinner!" Amara laughed.

"Of course I do."

She smiled. "I think I met my match when it comes to eating."

"As have I." Rory crossed his arms and smiled brightly at Amara. "You know, I'm really proud of the way you handled that Franklin guy earlier."

Amara paused with her drink. "Really?"

"Yeah. You were willing to risk your life for me."

Amara waved a hand. "You would've done the same for me."

"I would have, yes."

Amara smiled warmly at him and reached out her hand. Rory took it and kissed her knuckles.

As they continued chatting, the food finally came and they devoured it quickly, still having room for dessert but decided to go elsewhere for it. She'd heard that the MOA had a Carlo's Bakery somewhere and she was a fan of the Cake Boss. And cannolis. After paying, they left in search of the New Jersey born bakery and found it in the north food court. Amara was giggling as she stared at all the treats but her eyes were truly set on the large cannoli section. They even had chocolate ones, but she opted for the regular flavored one. Rory got one as well.

When she bit into it, she gasped at the explosion of sweet, creamy flavor and the crunchiness of the flaky casing.

"Oh my Goddess, this is heaven!" Amara laughed with food in her mouth.

"Mmhmm," he agreed after taking a bite.

When they finished their dessert, they decided to go walk off the calories for a bit before going on the rides at what was called Nickelodeon Universe. The first one was a big tree with multiple seats chained down so they tried that one first. It was slow and not very exciting but Amara got a good look at some of the park so that was something. Then they got on a ride that was essentially a big skateboard where it went up from side to side. That one was a little scarier but she loved it.

They went on many more rides and even went to the arcade to battle each other on some games. Amara was having the time of her life with her mate and it truly showed. After a few hours, they decided it was getting time to leave. They had to go pick up Tom and Henry from the airport. They left the mall with some items and Amara clung to a big bear that Rory had won for her. That was put in the trunk of the rental car.

When the couple got to the airport, they found Tom and Henry outside waiting with small bags of luggage. Apparently they travel light. They got the two guards settled into the car and drove back to hotel in St. Paul. When they got there, they helped Tom and Henry to their shared room, then the couple got to their own. When the door opened, Amara gasped and held her mouth.

While it was pretty much the same as the previous suite, save for colors of purple and beige, there was an ice bucket with non alcoholic champagne in it, two champagne glasses, scented candles that were not lit, and rose petals all over the king sized bed. Amara looked at her mate in shock.

"What did you do?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "Nothing. I only asked the employee to set up something romantic for us, that's all."

Amara giggled and flung her arms about Rory. "You wonderful man..."

"Heh heh heh," he chuckled, holding her close. "Wait until you see the bathroom."

He picked her up bridal style and carried her to the bathroom. She was shocked to find there was an array of bubble bath items next to the tub and more scented candles. Rory set her down and Amara giggled.

"You had this all done for me?" she asked.

"You said you wanted our first time to be special," he offered. "Technically, I didn't even do anything, but-"

Amara brought her lips to his in a deep kiss and he groaned into her mouth. Rory's fingers snaked through her hair. She knew this was right and she had to be ready. Where she would reside for the rest of her life depended on it. She slipped her coat off her shoulders and heard it drop to the bathroom floor.

"We should go to the bed," she whispered.

"Okay."

Still kissing, they moved back into the suite and started declothing each other. One by one, articles of cloth fell to the floor until they were both completely naked. Amara stared at Rory in awe of his body and gulped, allowing herself to truly take it in for the first time.

"Wow. You are really...wow, gorgeous," she muttered breathlessly.

Rory chuckled at her with lust in his eyes. "And you're beautiful." He kissed her nose and cupped her face. "I'm going to light the candles."

He walked away and she merely stared at his ass the whole time, licking her lips. "Mm, mm, mm!" she growled.

"What?" he asked as he began lighting candles.

"Your ass. It's so...mmm, I could just bite it!"

Rory threw his head back and laughed. "I'm glad you like it," he chortled.

Once all the candles were lit, he turned down the lights so that the room was dim with candlelight. He walked back to her but then he paused, looking around. He walked to the fireplace mantle and grabbed some sort of remote.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Apparently the room has a sound system. I'm just wondering...ah, there it is."

He pointed and clicked the remote. Al Green's, "Let's Stay Together" started playing and he smiled at her. Amara giggled as he set the remote down and ambled over to her. Rory took her in his arms and kissed her softly.

"How's this for special?" he inquired.

"This is great," she replied softly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said, swaying with her in his arms.

"What are you doing?"

"Dancing with you."

Amara giggled and put her arms on his shoulders, swaying with him. "This is a little silly dancing naked, you know."

"Is it?"

"Well, yeah."

"You wanna stop?"

"No, that's okay. I like silly."

Rory chuckled. "I'm not trying to be silly. I'm trying to be romantic."

"Silly can be romantic, too."

Rory smiled and put Amara in a dip, making her laugh loudly. He pulled her back up and held her close, his fingers trailing along her lower back. She trembled from his touch while sparks traveled through her skin. Suddenly he kissed her heatedly and she returned it. Amara moaned against his mouth and gripped his red hair within her fingers. Rory groaned and put one hand in her black hair while the other caressed her lower back. They both started wobbling over to the bed, making groans and moans as they continued kissing.

Amara plopped onto the bed with Rory and soon he was on top of her. She crawled up backwards so her head was on one of the pillows and he stalked up to her like a hungry predator. Amara then grabbed his head and pulled it to her own, kissing him desperately. Rory held her in his arms, as did she. He began kissing down her face to her jaw, then down to the flesh of her neck. Amara could feel his erection on her thigh and she gasped when Rory's fingers touched her core. He froze and looked down at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes, I just wasn't expecting that. I've never been touched there before...I mean by someone other than me," she explained.

"Oh. Should I not...do that?"

"No, it felt good. You can do it."

Rory chuckled almost maliciously and touched her again. Amara leaned her head back as his fingers slowly began to play with her slit. It felt amazing. Fingertips slid up and down in an agonizingly slow motion until he hit her pearl. She gasped again and could feel her womanhood heating up and getting wet. Rory's lips slid down her neck to her shoulder, then he started moving down her body to her breasts. He put a nipple in his mouth and suckled, making Amara's back arch up. She was so distracted she almost didn't notice the song ending to go to a new one.

Amara didn't recognize the song but it was slow and smooth, the singer's voice a deep baritone. Rory pinched her free nipple, making it perk to a rosy nub and she moaned loudly. His lips went further down to her toned stomach, then further to her navel. She looked down at him in confusion until his mouth kissed her labia. It made her shudder and moan as his tongue started lapping at her wetness gently.

"Oh shit..." she groaned out.

"Mmm, feel good?" Rory mumbled.

"Yes," she replied softly.

Amara started breathing heavily while he ate her out, sucking and licking on her clit. He growled into her and she spasmed a bit from the feeling. Pretty soon she felt a warm feeling bubbling up inside her as Rory's tongue increased in pressure and speed. Amara's throat let moans and growls go over and over, rising in volume and frequency. Ecstasy washed over her as her orgasm hit and she cried out loudly. Rory gave her one last soft lick before looking up at her with a smile.

"Was that good?" he asked with lust in his voice.

"That was...wonderful," she breathed.

Rory climbed up on her and kissed her cheek. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," she moaned.

He nodded and positioned himself over her. Amara opened her legs to him and she looked down at his hard member. She gulped a little then looked up into his eyes when his tip poked at her entrance. He went in slowly and Amara hissed at the feeling of being penetrated, grasping his arms. It hurt, but only a little.

"Are you okay?" he asked after fully sheathing himself into her.

"Yeah, just...don't move for a minute," she breathed out.

Rory remained still as Amara took a few deep breaths, waiting for the stinging sensation to disappear. When it did, she nodded to him and he slowly pulled out before going back in. She grunted and pulled his head down for a kiss. He leveled himself above her then he started thrusting into her gently. This was unlike anything Amara ever felt in her life, and it felt good. Great, even. As he continued his calculated thrusts, she arched her head back while he kissed her marking spot. She felt his canines poking at her skin, knowing he was anxious to mark her. He growled into her neck as his hips rolled a little faster.

Her hands went to his back and she scratched his back, earning another growl from him. Amara moaned into his ear.

"Oh, Rory," she groaned.

"Amara," he whispered softly.

She started bucking her hips against Rory, encouraging him to increase his strength against her. Grunts and moans filled the room along with the music that was still playing. Amara felt her canines elongate and soon Rory's fangs bit into her neck, bringing about both pleasure and pain throughout her body. She pressed her canines against his neck and sunk them into his flesh. Emotions and sensations filled Amara, knowing it was Rory that she was feeling through the bond. She felt like she was floating and sinking at the same time. Darragh and Dakota howled in delight at being able to meet and in her mind they greeted one another by nuzzling their faces.

Pleasure started building in her nether regions and she moaned out loudly as her world split in half from the explosion she felt. Rory ground into her heavily and skin slapped on skin as his pace went up. Suddenly Rory groaned out loudly and pressed into her deeply before pumping a few slow times. Both were covered in sweat and breathing loudly as he pulled out and rolled over onto his side, a look of pure satisfaction playing on his features.

"That was amazing," he breathed.

Amara shook her head. "That's an understatement."

She turned her head to look at his handsome face and smiled softly. He looked back at her with a lovesick grin.

"C'mere," he said, holding his arms out.

She scooted close to him and rested her head on his chest, feeling him kiss the top of her scalp as she listened to his heart beat. It eventually lulled her to sleep.


	23. The Band

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs are "Enter Sandman" and "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica.

Rory got out of bed carefully so as not to wake up his beautiful sleeping mate. He walked around the room to blow out all the candles and turn off the sound system, then he walked back to bed and pulled back the covers. Amara moaned in her sleep as he got the covers out from under her, then he slid into bed and covered them both up. He stared at her calm face and smiled. This was a wonderful night for him. He finally had a mate who actually wanted him and it felt unbelievably fantastic. He kissed her lips softly and stroked her face, then went back to watching her.

Rory took a glance at her necklace and realized she didn't need it anymore. He reached behind her neck, undid the clasp and carefully pulled it from her body. The scent of cucumbers and melons hit him and he shut his eyes as he breathed it in deeply. Resting the necklace on the nightstand, he turned back around and wrapped her up in his embrace. Sparks flew across his skin wherever they touched and he laid there, stroking her hair.

"Good night, Amara," he whispered softly before going to sleep himself.

* * *

Light was shining through the window of their suite as Amara started blinking her eyes open. Rory was asleep next to her on his side and she smiled at him. She reached out for his face and touched it softly with her fingertips.

 _"He's so gorgeous, and he's all mine,"_ she thought.

 _"He's ours,"_ Dakota corrected.

Amara giggled. _"No, you have his wolf now. Darragh is his name, right?"_

_"Yeah. He's so wonderful."_

_"I bet so."_

Amara leaned over and kissed Rory's lips softly before climbing out of bed. That's when she noticed her necklace was missing. She spotted it on the night stand and assumed her mate had removed it from her some time during the night. She shrugged and walked to the bathroom to go take a shower. Amara started up the water and once it was the right temperature, she got in and started rinsing herself down.

She felt a little sore down in her womanhood but she assumed that was normal. Amara took some shampoo and began lathering her wet hair with it as she sang a Metallica song to herself.

_Say your prayers, little one_

_Don't forget, my son_

_To include everyone_

_I tuck you in, warm within_

_Keep you free from sin_

_Til the Sandman he comes_

_Sleep with one eye open_

_Gripping your pillow tight_

_Exit light_

_Enter night_

_Take my hand_

_We're off to Never Neverland_

As Amara continued singing, she heard the shower door squeak open and she turned to see Rory coming in to join her.

"Mmm, good morning, Mr. Shaw," she murmurred as she put her arms around his neck.

"Good morning, Miss Jenson," he replied, kissing her softly. "You sing beautifully."

"Ah, shush," she said, giggling at him.

"I mean it. You do." He cupped her cheeks and kissed her again.

Amara chuckled and ran her fingers through his now wet hair. Rory pulled her close and shut his eyes, pressing his forehead to hers.

"Last night was amazing, mo caraid," he said. _[my mate]_

"It was," she agreed. "I've never felt so alive in my life."

"Me neither. I had no idea being with a mate like that could feel so great."

Amara smiled. "Now nobody can keep us apart," she whispered. "Nobody."

Rory placed soft kisses on her forehead, his palm caressing her cheek. Suddenly he started singing to her.

_So close, no matter how far_

_Couldn't be much more from the heart_

_Forever trusting who we are_

_And nothing else matters_

Amara looked up at him with a smile and started singing herself.

_Never opened myself this way_

_Life is ours, we live it our way_

_All these words, I don't just say_

_And nothing else matters_

Rory and Amara held each other close as they both sang to each other.

_Trust I seek and I find in you_

_Every day for us something new_

_Open mind for a different view_

_And nothing else matters_

_Never cared for what they do_

_Never cared for what they know_

_But I know_

They continued singing with each other in the shower until the very last verse and Amara clung to him tightly.

"Please don't let them take me," she mumbled sadly.

"Never," he assured her. "They'll never take you. I promise."

* * *

After spending the whole day together, it was finally time to get to the concert. Amara and Rory were both over the moon as they drove to the Xcel Energy Center where the concert was being held. They both had on Metallica hoodies. They found parking easily and got out of the car. They had a little ways to walk but Amara didn't mind. Their hands intertwined while they made their way towards the venue.

"I'm so excited and nervous!" Amara exclaimed excitedly.

"Me too," Rory said as he lifted her hand and kissed it.

They got to the venue and entered. It was crowded as all hell. Amara looked around in awe at the size of the place and all the different smells. She saw a kiosk selling Metallica and Ozzy Osbourne memorabilia and she went straight for the line. Rory followed suit, then he held her from behind as they waited. He kissed the back of her head and she blushed a little.

"I didn't know you were such a fan of PDA," she said.

"Is that a problem?" he asked.

"No. I like it."

Rory turned her head to the side so he could kiss her cheek continously. "Mmm, do you now?"

Amara giggled. "Yeah."

He turned her around and pressed his lips to hers, caressing her cheek with his palm. She returned the kiss and grinned, pulling back to look up at him.

"You're amazing," she said.

"So are you."

She turned back around and soon they were at the head of the line. They both bought Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica t-shirts before going through the Xcel Center to find the entrance for the backstage. When they got there, the couple showed their passes and were let in. Amara was practically jumping out of her skin with excitement. Rory, however, was moreso keeping his cool.

They looked around at all the crew members and Amara spotted a buffet table full of food.

 _"Oh man,"_ she thought with delight.

 _"I know,"_ Rory said in her mind.

Amara gaped at him. "Did you just-"

"Yeah. We can do that now that we're fully mated. Didn't you know that?" he asked.

"No."

"Well, now you know," he laughed. "C'mon, let's go get some food."

Amara and Rory made their way over to the table and started grabbing food to eat. Suddenly she caught a whiff of a sour smell and she rolled her eyes.

 _"I smell rogues,"_ she said to Rory in the mind link.

 _"Me too. I hope it's not...oh no, I smell Alpha Franklin, too_ _,"_ he thought to Amara.

_"Crap._ _"_

"Miss Jenson."

Amara slowly turned around to see Alpha Franklin and the twins looking at her. Rory instinctively put her behind him.

"What do you want, Morrison?" Rory asked with a snarl.

Franklin chuckled. "Just came by to say hello." He sniffed the air and growled. "You two mated?!" he hissed.

"Yes. Now Amara can't be your Luna," Rory spat. "She is _mine."_

 _"Goddess, I love it when you get possessive,"_ Amara thought to Rory.

She poked her head out to the side of her mate to see a very angry Franklin.

"We'll see about that," Franklin growled. "The bond can always be severed."

"I've never heard of such a thing," Amara blurted out.

"It's simple. I just have to kill your mate, then I can mark you as mine."

Amara's face went pale. She could feel Rory tense up and heard him growl from his chest. "You lay one finger on her and I'll kill you!" Rory bellowed.

People stopped what they were doing to watch the scene. Amara gripped Rory's jacket and gulped. This was all her fault. If she hadn't mated with Rory, then he wouldn't have a target on his back now.

 _"This is not your fault, baby,"_ Rory mind linked. _"He is never going_ _to have you."_

Franklin chuckled deeply. "You can't kill me if you're dead."

Some burly men came walking up the group. "Is there a problem here?" one of them asked.

Franklin shook his head. "No. We were just chatting." He eyed Amara. "You will be called for a meeting with the Elders soon. I suggest you pack your bags, Miss Jenson."

As Franklin and the twins left, so did the guards. Amara let go of the breath she was holding in. Rory turned to her and grasped her face.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking quite worried.

She shook her head. "No. What are we going to do?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

He huffed and pulled her into his chest. "He's not going to take you anywhere. And he's not going to kill me. We just have to convince the Elders that staying with the Red Blood Pack is in everyone's best interest."

"I hope so, mo caraid," she said, burying her face into Rory's chest. _[my mate]_

"Are you guys okay?" someone asked.

Amara turned her head to see none other than James Hetfield standing next to them. Her eyes went wide and she gulped.

"Y-Yeah, we're okay," she stuttered.

 _"Holy crap! It's friggin James Hetfield!"_ she thought.

"Yes, we're okay. Thank you for asking, Mr. Hetfield," Rory said calmly.

Amara could feel through the bond that he was totally freaking out at that point. So was she. Rory let go of Amara and the couple faced James.

"Those guys looked like bad business," James said, crossing his arms. "They didn't look like typical fans, though. I wonder how they got back here..."

"They probably bribed someone or had VIP tickets themselves," Rory observed.

"They did all that just to talk to you?"

"What can I say? We're popular."

James laughed and nodded. "You must be."

On the outside, Amara was calm and collected. On the inside, however, she was freaking the fuck out. She had no idea what to do or say to someone who she considered part of a legendary band. Hell, James himself was legendary in her eyes. As Rory and him talked, she realized that James was a very cheerful, a very likeable guy. It was comforting to know this.

 _"I wonder what Lars would be like in person..."_ she thought.

"Amara, you're rather quiet," Rory said. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she replied with a clearing of her throat. "Just a bit...star struck."

James chuckled as he looked at her. "Yeah, I get that a lot. How about I show you guys around a bit? Have you meet the rest of the band?"

Amara's jaw went slack. "Um, sure!"

James motioned for them to follow and they did, giving each other knowing looks.

 _"This is friggin insane, man!"_ Amara hissed in the mind link with Rory.

 _"No shit! I can barely contain myself!"_ Rory replied.

The couple were led by James through the backstage to a hallway, then he opened a door to a spacious room with chairs and couches and a table full of food. Amara gasped when she saw Lars Ulrich lounging with a bag of organic potato chips.

 _"Get the fuck out!"_ she thought. _"It's Lars friggin Ulrich!"_

"Hey guys," James said. "This is Amara and Rory."

The band members waved and said hello, making Amara laugh nervously as she waved at Lars, Kirk and Robert. Her stomach was in knots, she was so nervous.

"They must be special if you're showin' them around, James," Lars commented.

James shrugged. "Oh, they were just getting hassled by some people while backstage, so..."

"Really? Is everything okay?" Kirk asked.

"Oh, it's fine. Just some guy with a big ego, is all," Amara scoffed, waving her hand to brush it off.

"Didn't seem fine to me. Sounded kinda heated," James observed.

She shrugged. "Guy wants to be my boyfriend but I already have one," she said as she clung to Rory's arm.

"Ooooh...that guy seemed a bit old for you, though."

The door opened and Amara turned to see Ozzy Osbourne walk in. She gasped and covered her mouth.

"Oh shit," she said.

Ozzy looked at Amara and grinned. "Hello, love. Having a good time?" he asked.

Amara blushed profusely. "Yes," she giggled.

Ozzy looked at Rory. "Oy...you having a good time, too?"

"Uh huh," Rory replied.

Ozzy drank from a bottle of water and looked over at James. "How's it going, man?"

"Fine," James replied with a grin. "Just showing them around."

"Hang on, I gotta go use the lou," Ozzy said before leaving the room.

Amara had to suppress a giggle. James shook his head. "That's Ozzy for ya."

James offered the couple a seat and the two did just that. They started talking with the whole band and the more they talked, the more relaxed Amara became. Ozzy eventually came back and joined in on the conversation. They talked about life in general, spirituality, and the band member's hobbies and interests. She thought it was the coolest thing ever.

"So Rory, what do you do for a living?" Kirk asked.

"I'm a school teacher," Rory replied.

"Uh huh. How about you, Amara?"

"Oh, I'm still in school. I work at Hot Topic...for now," she answered.

"I see. Well, what do you want to do with your life, then? Do you plan on going to college?"

"No, actually. But um...I guess I'd like to become a...martial arts trainer."

Rory eyeballed her. _"I did not know this,"_ he said in the mind link.

 _"Sometimes I help train pups. Gabriel says I'm a natural teacher,"_ she commented in Rory's mind.

"Really?" Lars asked. "What kind of martial arts?"

"Tae kwon do and jujitsu, mostly," Amara replied.

"Woa. That's so cool. You know any fighting skills, Rory?"

"Oh, actually the same as her and claymore fencing," Rory answered humbly.

"What's claymore fencing?" Robert inquired.

"Basically fighting with a big ass sword."

The band members and Ozzy laughed a little. "It's nice to know that the Scottish still take up sword fighting," James said.

"Think you could show off some moves?" Kirk asked with a smirk.

"Some moves?" Amara asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. Some martial arts moves."

Amara and Rory looked at each other before looking back at the musicians. "Sure, why not?"

The band and Ozzy cheered a bit as the two got up. The two werewolves took off their coats, got in the middle of the room and Amara was the first to show off a variety of tae kwon do kicks, moving into the more difficult ones later. One was a spinning kick where she jumped up, twirled her body and kicked the air three times. After that, Rory took his turn and used Amara to show off some grappling moves. Eventually they were convinced to spar one another and the couple engaged in joint locking moves and hand strikes. All the while, the musicians commented on how awesome the two looked.

In the middle of all this, there was a knock on the door and a crew member poked their head in.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, but Ozzy, you're up in ten," the crewman said.

Ozzy nodded. "Alright then."

He got up from his seat, said goodbye to everyone and left the room.

"Geez, how long were we hanging out for?" James asked with a laugh.

"A while," Robert replied.

"Well, we should probably get going," Rory said. "We don't want to miss Ozzy's performance."

"Yeah," Lars said. "You guys were cool to hang out with. You should come back after the show and hang out some more."

Amara smiled. "We'll certainly do that."

The couple said their goodbyes and left the room. Amara squealed in delight.

"That was friggin awesome!" she yelled as they walked through the backstage.

"Yes it was," Rory laughed, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, let's go watch the show."


	24. The Concert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song is "All Within My Hands" by Metallica.

Amara and Rory were standing around on the pit floor staring up at the stage with glee. She giggled as the lights started to dim and three screens lowered down over the stage. Smoke started forming on the stage and suddenly music started blaring from the speakers from everywhere. People began cheering and Amara wooed loudly. Lights started flashing from everywhere in the crowd. Amara assumed it was all of them taking pictures. She pulled out her own to get ready to take pictures. The crowd started going really wild while pictures of Ozzy throughout the years appeared on the screens and various sections of his most favorite songs played on the speakers.

Then the spotlight hit and Ozzy Osbourne and his band members started walking on stage. The uproar got louder and the couple screamed right along with them.

"How are you doing?" Ozzy's voice echoed throughout the area. "You know what my job is tonight? My job is to make you fuckers crazy!"

The crowd got louder and Amara laughed along with Rory.

"Are you ready?" Ozzy asked everyone.

"Yeah!" the crowd yelled.

"I can't fucking hear you!"

The fans went wild with excitement as they shouted at the top of their lungs.

"Let the madness begin!" Ozzy shouted.

The drummer clashed the cymbals and the guitarist began his riff. Amara recognized the song as "Bark At the Moon" and both her and Rory cheered with the fans. Ozzy began singing and she screamed loudly with joy. It was really loud but she was too happy to care about it.

 _"This is the best time_ ever!" she thought.

Song after song, Ozzy performed flawlessly. Amara thought her throat would get sore from all her screaming but she didn't care. She was having a blast. As Ozzy ended "Under The Graveyard", people continued to cheer and he began talking.

"How crazy are you fuckers right now?" he asked.

Amara, Rory and the rest of the crowd screamed in unison. Ozzy cackled loudly into the microphone and ran a hand through his brown locks.

"Yeah, you sound crazy. Listen, I just want to thank you all for the love and support, especially for the last year and a half. It's been fuckin' crazy, and I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart."

 _"What is he talking about?"_ Rory asked in Amara's head.

 _"He's talking about his neck surgery and Parkinson's disease diagnosis,"_ she replied.

_"What? You're kidding!"_

Amara shook her head. _"No. I'm amazed that he was even able to perform, though. He did such a fantastic job."_

"And now, my minions of darkness, I give you...Metallica!" Ozzy shouted.

Ozzy and his band quickly moved off the stage and the crowd cheered when the band Metallica came on the stage. Amara giggled and clapped her hands as they got ready. James Hetfield went up to the microphone and smiled down at the crowd.

"Yeah! How are you doing tonight? Are you ready for a show?" James proclaimed.

Everyone clapped their hands and screamed out in response to his question, making James laugh. The band finished setting up and soon orchestra music began to play. Amara immediately recognized the song and she screamed in delight while Rory shouted loudly with enthusiasm. The drums started in, the guitars faded in and the bass started going. Then James began to sing

_All within my hands_

_Squeeze it in, crush it down_

_All within my hands_

_Hold it dear, hold it suffocate_

_All within my hands_

_Love to death, smack you 'round and 'round and_

_All within my hands_

_Beware_

_Love is control_

_I'll die if I let go_

_Love is control_

_I'll die if I let go_

Amara felt Rory's arms wrap around her from behind as they listened to the song. While in his arms, Amara felt safe and as if they were the only two people in that arena. He breathed her in and shuddered.

 _"Goddess, I wish we could have sex right now,"_ he thought to her in the mind link.

Amara cackled. _"We're in a very crowded place, Mr. Shaw. It would be so obscene if we did that."_

Song after song was played and Amara and Rory listened to them all with the crowd. Eventually "Nothing Else Matters" started playing and Rory started swaying Amara back and forth slowly. She turned around and put her arms around his shoulders, slow dancing with him. Once again, they were the only people on the pit floor. His thumb slid along her cheek as he looked down at her with a soft smile. Their foreheads touched and their eyes closed as they danced.

 _"Rory, would it be too early to say how much I'm falling for you?"_ she asked.

 _"Of course not, mo caraid. I feel exactly the same,"_ he replied.

Amara smiled up at him and brushed her lips with his, engaging in a loving, tender kiss.

* * *

Back at home, Gabriel was sitting with Sonya, Janine and Benjamin in the tv room watching a movie when his phone rang. He looked at the number and his brow furrowed. It was an Elder who was calling. He got off the couch and walked away to answer it.

"This is Alpha Gabriel," he said into the phone.

 _"Alpha, this is Elder Ronald,"_ a man said on the other end.

"Ah, Elder Ronald. What can I do for you?"

_"The council is calling for a meeting. It's about Amara's possible placement into the Blood Pearl Pack."_

Gabriel frowned. "You guys are actually thinking of accepting the motion?"

_"He has grounds to do so based on the contract Alpha Franklin made with Alpha Michael, so yes."_

"But Elder Ronald, are you aware that Amara has found her mate?"

_"...No, I was unaware of this. Have they mated yet?"_

"Not that I know of, but I'm sure that-"

_"If they haven't mated by the time the council holds the meeting, the chances of Amara being sent to the new pack will be higher."_

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Alright. When will the meeting take place?"

_"This Wednesday at nine a.m."_

"Understood. Amara and I will be there."

_"Alpha Gabriel, a word of advice. You may want to bring her mate along as well so that the council recognizes their mate bond."_

Gabriel nodded. "Alright. Thank you, Alpha Ronald."

_"You're welcome. You have a good night."_

"You too."

Gabriel hung up and blew out a puff of air. This was troubling. He couldn't believe the council was actually entertaining the idea of sending Amara away. He just wouldn't stand for it. His wolf stirred in the back of his mind, obviously upset over the news.

 _"What will you do?"_ his wolf asked.

 _"First things first. I need to tell Amara and Mr. Shaw what is going on,"_ Gabriel replied.

He dialed Amara's number and held the phone to his ear. It rang three times before Amara answered. There was loud music playing in the background.

 _"Gabriel, I'm at the concert! Is this important?"_ she yelled in a calm manner.

"Yes. Can you go somewhere quiet?" Gabriel asked.

_"Yeah, hold on. Rory, I'll be right back. Gabriel's on the phone."_

He waited patiently as the music started to die down. Soon he could barely hear it through the phone.

 _"Okay, what's up?"_ Amara asked.

"I just got a call from one of the Elders. They're holding a meeting on Wednesday for the petition to send you to the Blood Pearl Pack," Gabriel explained.

_"_ _Yeah, I was told it would be soon."_

Gabriel tensed. "By whom?"

_"Alpha Franklin, the leader of that pack. Somehow he managed to get backstage and hound Rory and I. He even threatened to kill Rory because we marked each other and mated."_

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. "He what?"

_"Can he even do that?"_

"I'm not sure, to be honest. That'd be the only way to break the mate bond between you and Mr. Shaw, but I doubt the council would allow it."

He could hear Amara sniffle over the phone. _"_ _This is ridiculous."_

"I know, Little One, but we're going to fight this, okay? Mr. Shaw should come with to the meeting too. I doubt he'd want to be left out of this."

_"Okay. I'll tell Rory."_

"Good. And I'm glad you two finally mated, that makes the chances better that you won't be sent off to Alpha Franklin's pack."

_"Thank you."_

"No problem," Gabriel said, sighing gently. "Well, I'll let you get back to the concert. And hey, we all love you, okay?"

_"I love you all too. Bye."_

"Bye."

* * *

Amara hung up the phone and leaned against the wall before sliding down to sit on her bottom. Tears fell from her eyes and she bowed her head as her body shook. The thought of her mate being killed over this was the most devastating feeling ever. There was no way she could live without Rory, especially now that they were marked and mated. Amara sobbed silently while sitting on the floor, barely hearing someone walking towards her.

"I'd ask why you're crying but I doubt you'd tell me," she heard Alpha Franklin say.

She wiped her eyes and glared up at him. "Your assumption is correct." Amara shook her head. "What are you even doing here? Why did you follow us here?"

"I wanted to see what you were like. I must say that I'm not disappointed."

Amara scoffed and looked away from him, hugging her knees. "Well, you'll be disappointed when the council denies your claim on me."

Franklin chuckled and crouched down near her. "This doesn't have to be difficult, you know."

"Difficult?!" she snapped at him. "You want to tear me from my home, from my family, from my mate, and for what? Over some stupid contract my parents made with you? No, difficult is a friggin understatement!"

He frowned at her and sighed. "Do you know why black wolves are considered a blessing?"

"No, and I don't care to know," she growled.

"It's because black wolves provide strong offspring. Very strong offspring. I want my heirs to be strong."

Amara's eyes burned with fury. "So you want me because of the kind of pups I'd bear?"

"Yes. Well, that's part of it. Now that I know how beautiful you are, that's another reason."

Amara growled and stood up, slightly towering over his crouched form. "I will _never_ have your children. _Never_. Do you understand me?"

She stormed away from him and marched through the doors of the concert arena. "St. Anger" was now playing and she fought through the crowd to find Rory. The pit was too packed for her to get back to the front stage, however, and she growled. Amara had an urge to just shove people out of the way using her werewolf strength but of course, that wasn't allowed.

 _"Rory, I can't get to you,"_ she said in the mind link.

 _"That's okay, I'll come to you. Where are you?"_ he asked.

_"I'm in the middle of the pit."_

She tried searching for him but it was really dark save for the flashing strobe lights. Soon she caught a whiff of his scent and knew he was close, but then it was mixed with the smell of copper. Blood. Amara became worried.

_"Rory?"_

_"Amara...someone stabbed me,"_ Rory said weakly.

She became desperate in her search and she started pushing people out of the way until she found him. Rory was clutching his side and was bleeding. In a panic and with a look of horror on her face, Amara grabbed him and helped him out of the crowd, draping his arm over her shoulder as they walked.

 _"Who the_ fuck _stabbed our mate?!"_ Dakota bellowed.

 _"I'm willing to bet it was one of Franklin's goons!"_ Amara thought.

Someone screamed and pointed at the couple. "Oh my God, he's bleeding! Someone call 911!"

Amara rolled her eyes. "Great."

Rory suddenly went limp and fell to a knee, bringing Amara down with him. She rested him on his back as people crowded around and the band stopped playing. She pulled up his clothes and saw he'd been stabbed on his left side. Blood was still oozing out of it and she growled as she took off her sweatshirt and used it to apply pressure on the wound. Amara knew they were in human territory and therefore she couldn't bring her mate to a werewolf hospital or a neighboring pack. Now there were too many onlookers so a regular hospital would have to do.

"Rory, look at me," she said.

He looked at her, his face looking pale and sweaty. "I-I think it was silver, mo caraid."

Amara lifted the sweatshirt for a few seconds. The wound was not healing and there was a sort of bubbling around the wound.

 _"Wolfsbane. Crap,"_ she thought.

That explained why he wasn't healing. Wolfsbane was pretty much like poison to werewolves and it caused slow, agonizing deaths. Amara started sobbing but she had to hold herself together. She reapplied pressure and looked around. People were recording on their phones while a few others had called 911. Amara looked back at her mate's face. It hurt to see him suffer so much. She pulled out her phone and dialed Tom. He answered after the second ring.

 _"Hi Amara. How's the concert?"_ he asked.

"Tom, I need you and Henry to go find the antidote for wolfsbane. Rory got stabbed and I think the knife had some on it," she explained.

_"Oh shit. We're on our way."_

Amara hung up the phone and glanced at Rory. "You with me, mo caraid?" Amara asked him.

He nodded. "Yes," he replied breathlessly.

"Good."

"What the hell happened here?" someone asked.

Amara turned her head to see James Hetfield kneeling down next to Rory. "He got stabbed."

Rory shut his eyes tightly and groaned, obviously in pain. Amara shook her head and cried.

"Rory, open your eyes and look at me," she said. He did open his eyes and he tried to focus on her but his eyes started glazing over. "No. No no no, don't you start that crap, Rory Shaw. You stay awake, you hear me?"

"He needs to get to the hospital, and fast," James commented and looked around. "Anyone know how long until an ambulance gets here?"

"They're on the way, should be here any minute," a fan replied.

"Hey, Rory," James said, tapping the injured man's cheek softly. "Stay awake, okay? Focus."

Rory's eyes fluttered and he shook his head a bit before looking at James. "Oh. Hello," he said.

Amara leaned over and kissed Rory's forehead. "Please stay with me," she said before pulling back and brushing his hair back with her fingers.

He raised a hand and cupped her cheek, his thumb rubbing just under her eye as he looked at her. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me," he muttered.

Amara sniffled and kissed his palm. "Likewise. Now stay with me."

Rory's eyes fluttered once more before his hand dropped and he lost consciousness. Amara checked for a pulse on his neck. Thankfully he still had one. It was at that point that some paramedics came running in with a gurneys. James and Amara moved aside so they could get Rory up. Once they checked him over, they got him onto the gurney and started running out with him, Amara tailing close behind. Her phone rang and she answered it as she got into the ambulance with the paramedics.

 _"Amara, we found where an antidote is. Are you guys going to a hospital?"_ Henry asked over the phone.

"Yeah," she said. "What hospital are we going to?" she asked one of the paramedics.

"St. Joseph's hospital," he replied.

"St. Joseph's hospital," Amara said into the phone.

_"Alright, we'll meet you there."_

"Okay, and please hurry."

The ambulance was now on the move as Amara hung up the phone and she sighed, holding her head while bending down at the waist.

Franklin was going to pay dearly for this.


	25. The Hospital

When they arrived at the hospital, Rory was wheeled into the emergency room. Amara attempted to follow but was stopped by a security guard.

"I'm sorry Miss, but you have to stay in the waiting room," he said.

Amara narrowed her eyes at the man. "You don't understand, I need to be with him!" she shouted with tears in her eyes.

"Miss, you can't go back there."

Amara was about ready to throttle the man against the wall when her phone rang. She growled and looked at the caller ID. It was Gabriel. She pressed the answer button on the screen.

"Gabriel, something awful happened," she sniffled.

 _"I know, Henry called me. They got the antidote from a nearby pack and are on their way to the hospital,"_ Gabriel explained.

"Good but they won't let me back there with Rory. How are we gonna give him the antidote?"

_"When Tom and Henry get there, I want you to tell one of the doctors or nurses to give the antidote to a Dr. Schultz and that he needs to administer it to Mr. Shaw. He's a werewolf who works there._ _If they give you any trouble, just tell them Mr. Shaw was poisoned and that you have the antidote._ _"_

Amara sighed in relief. "How did you find this all out?" she asked, running a shaky hand through her black locks.

_"I made some calls after Henry called me."_

Amara puffed out a breath of air and rested a palm on her side. "Thank you, Gabriel."

_"You're welcome. Now don't you worry, everything's gonna be fine."_

"I hope you're right."

_"Have faith. Did you get a look at whoever stabbed him?"_

"No, but I'm willing to bet that bastard Franklin had something to do with it," Amara growled.

 _"I wouldn't doubt it,"_ Gabriel said with a sigh. _"We'll bring this up at the council meeting, too."_

"Do you think Rory will be fine by then?"

_"I don't see why he wouldn't be. Mr. Shaw is a strong young man. He'll pull through this easy as pie."_

Amara wiped her eyes as she went into the ER lobby to sit. "I don't want to lose him, Gabriel. I don't know what I'll do if I lose him," she sobbed.

_"Stop talking like that. He is going to be fine."_

Amara nodded and sniffled. "I'm sorry, Gabriel. I'm just so worried."

_"I understand_ _, but Tom and Henry will be there soon with the antidote."_

"Okay."

After speaking for a few more minutes on the phone, Gabriel and her disconnected and Amara hung her head low. Her mind was running a million miles a second, the worst case scenario playing in her head over and over. She knew if Rory died, she'd lose her mind over it. That was usually the case when a werewolf's mate died. Just the thought of being without him made her sick to her stomach.

Amara imagined seeing his dead body again and again. She imagined a funeral with his corpse on a burning pyre. It brought tears to her eyes and she visibly began to shake from her silent crying. Dakota was howling in agony over her mate's possible demise. Then Amara felt a burning rage in her heart when she thought of Alpha Franklin having something to do with this and her hands tightened into fists.

 _"I will make that man pay, I swear to the Moon Goddess above. That son of a bitch is going to pay!"_ she thought.

"Excuse me, but are you Amara?"

Amara raised her head and looked up at a woman in a white lab coat staring down at her. She stood up and cleared her throat.

"Yes, I'm Amara," she said.

"Good. I'm Dr. Schultz. Your, erm, father called me."

 _"Oh thank Goddess,"_ Amara thought.

"Is Rory awake? Is he okay?" Amara asked desperately.

"He's not awake, but he's all stitched up and on a saline drip to help flush out the...poison," Dr. Schultz explained, emphasizing the last word with a knowing look. "However, it would be best if he had the antidote. Do you have it?"

"No, but I have a couple friends on the way here with it. They should be here soon," Amara replied.

"Based on his wound, I'd say he was stabbed with a silver knife and it was coated in wolfsbane," she whispered. "The wolfsbane is preventing him from healing."

"Oh Goddess," Amara said with a gasp.

It was then that Henry came running into the waiting room. He had a glass jar of light yellow liquid in his hand and he made his way over to Amara and the doctor, his chest heaving from exhaustion.

"I got the stuff," he said, holding it out.

"Excellent," the doctor said as she took it. "I'll administer this right away."

The doctor left in a hurry and Amara sat back down in her chair, holding her head in her hands. Henry, still breathing heavily, sat next to her and started rubbing her back.

"I'm so sorry, Amara," he said sadly.

She just wanted to yank her own hair out, she was so angry. Amara lifted her head slightly and a low growl rumbled in her chest.

"We need to find out where Alpha Franklin is," she said, barely above a whisper. "And I'm gonna kill him for hurting my mate."

"Are you sure this was him?" Henry asked her.

"He showed up with his goons at the concert to hassle me. Once when Rory and I were backstage, then twice just before Rory got stabbed," Amara explained.

Henry let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, Amara. We should have been there."

"It's not your fault."

Tom came walking up to the two and sat down on the other side of Amara. "Hey. Any news?"

"Doctor Schultz said he was stabbed with a silver knife coated in wolfsbane. That's why his wound isn't healing. They have him on a saline drip to help flush out the wolfsbane," Amara explained softly so that the humans around them couldn't hear.

"Don't worry, Amara. The antidote will do its job," Tom said with assurance.

The three werewolves sat in the waiting room for what seemed like forever to Amara. She was getting anxious and she was seething with fury. She played in her head over and over the image of ripping Alpha Franklin's throat out. Dakota was encouraging this line of thinking. Glaring across the way at nothing in particular, Amara kept her hands clasped together tightly. Her knuckles had long gone white from the amount of tension in them.

"Amara," Henry said.

Amara raised her head and looked at him. He pointed over at the ER door and she looked to see Dr. Schultz walking towards them. She got up as the doctor closed the gap, but she didn't look very happy.

 _"Crap,"_ Amara thought.

"Well, I have good news and I have bad news," the doctor said, looking around. "Let's go to one of the consultation rooms."

Amara inclined her head and she followed the doctor into a consultation room. Tom and Henry were close behind. The three sat on a couch as the doctor shut the door and stood in front of them. Amara frowned, fumbling with her fingers.

"What's the good news?" she inquired.

"The good news is the antidote worked. The wolfsbane is no longer a problem."

Amara sighed but she knew bad news was still coming. "And the bad news?"

The doctor bit her lip. "The bad news is that we found silver nitrate in his system."

Amara gulped and her eyes began to water. "S-Silver nitrate?"

Silver was well known to be harmful to werewolves. It burned them on contact and could even kill a werewolf if enough silver was used. Amara could still feel her mate through the bond but only just.

"There's not a lot but it's enough to cause extreme amounts of pain for your mate. He's on a blood filtering machine and we had to put him in a chemically induced coma for the time being."

Tears fell from her eyes and she took a big, shaky breath before talking. "Is he going to die?"

"I honestly don't know. It's a miracle that he's still alive."

Amara's body started to tremble uncontrollably. "Is there anything that can be done to help?"

"Well, we're transferring him to a pack hospital near Farmington. I've already called the pack's Alpha for permission to cross on his land and he agreed. All of you have permission to go to the hospital." The doctor pulled out a piece of paper. "This is the address, the name of the hospital and directions on how to get there. GPS out there can be a little wonky. This is the Blue Rock Pack's territory and I've heard good things about them."

Amara took the paper and looked at it briefly before shaking the doctor's hand.

"Thank you," Amara said. "Is he already on the way?"

"Yes, the helicopter left about five minutes ago."

Amara thanked the doctor again and the doctor left the room. She felt lightheaded and her knees buckled but Tom and Henry caught her from falling to the floor.

"Woa there, are you okay?" Tom asked with concern.

She started crying uncontrollably and Tom held her against his chest. Henry rubbed the girl's back to comfort her. Amara cried and cried, unable to stifle the sounds of grief coming from her throat. Her body continued to tremble and shake as she took deep breaths in between each sob. Dakota was whining sadly in Amara's mind.

"I'll kill that bastard, I swear I'll kill him!" Amara snarled suddenly.

"Kill who?" Tom asked.

"We think this was Alpha Franklin's doing," Henry said.

After Henry explained to Tom further on the reasons why, Amara finally started to calm down. Her sobs turned into small hiccups. Tom looked down at her with a furrowed brow.

"We should head to the hospital, Amara," he said.

* * *

The drive to the Blue Rock's territory was about a forty five minute drive from the hospital in St. Paul. The area was mostly farmland with a few areas of forest here and there. It was a little hard to see because it was dark out. The GPS started going out so Tom relied on the directions given to them by the doctor. After turning onto a few dirt roads, they finally came across some wolves. Amara assumed they were protecting the border. Tom stopped the car and got out, holding his arms up a little.

"Hello, we're the visitors from St. Paul. Your Alpha is expecting us," he said.

One of the wolves transformed into their human form and walked over to Tom as Amara looked away from his naked body. The two made banter for a bit, then Tom got back in the car and the man changed back into a wolf. Tom put the car out of park and drove down the dirt road. About five minutes passed before Amara saw a small town before them with the help of the headlights of the car. There were some people walking around and some of them pointed at the car.

Eventually they came across a four story building and Amara knew this was the pack hospital. It seemed small for a hospital but then again she figured the pack wasn't that large. The three werewolves got out of the car and Amara rushed into the building. The doors opened automatically and she went straight to the reception desk to address a woman sitting behind it.

"Excuse me, um, there was a patient brought in here earlier this evening? His name is Rory Shaw," Amara said.

The blonde woman opened up a big book and looked at one of the pages. "Here we go. He's in room 3032 on the third floor."

"Thank you."

Amara quickly ran to an elevator along with Tom and Henry. She pressed the button repeatedly and growled in annoyance that it wasn't coming fast enough. She eyed the door to the stairs and she huffed.

"Screw this," she said before running to the staircase door.

Amara opened it and took two stairs at a time as she ran up. Tom and Henry were right behind her and once they got to the third floor, she burst through the door and looked around. She examined the room numbers and went in the direction where the numbers started going up.

 _"3012, 3014, 3016..."_ she thought in her head before picking up the pace to a jog. _"3024, 3026, 3028, 3030, here we go! 3032!"_

Amara wasted no time going into the room. There were a couple of men standing in the room at the foot of the hospital bed, one of them obviously being the doctor. Rory was in the bed hooked up to a couple of machines, one of them being a ventilator, and she covered her mouth with a gasp. He looked awful. The doctor and the other man looked her way.

"Ah, you must be Amara," the doctor said.

She immediately went to Rory's side and grabbed his hand, ignoring the doctor completely. Amara noticed some needles in his arm and it was hooked up to some sort of machine. The tubes were completely full of blood and she was utterly confused as to what the machine was doing.

"W-What's going on? Why does he have this machine attached to him?" Amara asked, blinking through tears.

Tom and Henry stood behind her and Tom stroked her shoulder. The doctor looked at Amara with sympathy.

"The silver nitrate got into his bloodstream so we put him on dialysis to help clear it from his system. Basically, the machine takes blood from him, cleans it, and then puts it back into his body," he explained.

Amara looked at him sadly. "Is he going to make it?"

"It's hard to say, I'm afraid. Silver is a nasty business for us werewolves but we're giving him the best care possible."

Amara sniffled and ran her fingers through Rory's red hair. "Oh, mo caraid..." she whimpered. "How has he even made it this long? I mean, isn't silver nitrate supposed to kill us immediately?"

"Not necessarily. It depends on how much is given. Rory here was only given enough to weaken and hurt him, not kill him."

Amara blinked. "So, wait, I don't understand. How is it he might not survive, then?"

"The wolfsbane and the silver both did quite a number on his body and none of it is healing while the silver is in his system. His lungs got the worst of it. That's why he's on a ventilator."

Amara frowned and shook her head to clear it. She was having a hard time wrapping her brain around all this. "I'm sorry. I need a moment to process all this."

"I understand."

Amara looked from the doctor to the other man that was in the room. She cocked her head to one side, studying the man. He looked to be in his mid thirties and was a brunette with a short beard and golden and amber speckled eyes. He kind of looked like the Brawny paper towel guy.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" she asked in a polite tone.

"I'm Alpha Jason," he replied a little coldly.

"Oh. Well...um, thank you so much for your hospitality, Alpha Jason," she said, bowing her head.

"You're welcome."

Amara looked at the doctor. "And thank you for taking care of my mate."

"You're welcome," he said with a smile.

Amara glanced back at the Alpha who looked a bit annoyed. She frowned and looked over at Rory's face. "Is he still in a medical coma?"

"Yes."

"How long does he have to stay that way?"

"Until all the silver leaves his system and he heals."

Amara sighed and gripped Rory's hand tightly. Tears fell from her eyes and she sniffed. Dakota was howling in agony at the thought of her mate in such pain. Her head bowed and the tears splattered onto the hospital bed.

 _"Moon Goddess, please don't take him from me,"_ she thought.


	26. Pain

After giving Gabriel an update on the situation, Amara looked at her sleeping mate with the biggest of heartaches. She'd never known so much emotional and mental pain in her entire life, even when her old pack was killed. Neither when she was bullied. No, Rory's life hanging in the balance was so much worse.

Amara tried mind linking him but she got no response whenever she tried.

 _"We could try contacting Darragh,"_ Dakota suggested.

Amara mulled that over in her head for a few moments. _"Okay, let's try that."_

She let Dakota take over her body and Dakota held Rory's hand, closing her eyes to concentrate.

 _"Darragh, can you hear me?"_ Dakota whispered in the mind link.

She heard whimpering and howling, making her gasp in horror. Darragh was in pain. So much pain. And Dakota could feel it. Tears ran down her cheeks as she continued to hold Rory's hand.

 _"Darragh!"_ she shouted. _"It's Dakota! Can you hear me?"_

 _"...Dakota...it hurts..."_ Darragh croaked.

Despite the pain coursing through her body, Dakota was going to do her best to comfort the wolf. Finding him in Rory's mind was difficult but when she did find him, more tears fell from her eyes. The red wolf was lying on his side and writhing in pain. Dakota ran to him and nuzzled his face before licking it.

 _"I'm here, Darragh,"_ she said.

He looked up at her and nuzzled her back. _"Dakota...everything hurts..."_ he breathed.

She laid beside him and got close, licking his snout and head repeatedly. This was all she knew what to do to ease his pain, even just a little bit.

 _"My poor, sweet Darragh,"_ she choked. _"It'll be over soon enough."_

 _"I can't stand the pain!"_ Darragh growled out.

Dakota was worried the pain might drive him to insanity. _"I'm going to figure out if there's anything we can do to ease the pain."_

_"Please don't leave me, not yet."_

Dakota obliged him and continued grooming him despite how much she was in pain. She didn't dare tell him that she could feel how much he was suffering. She stayed by his side for a while, pressing her nose to his on occasion as a display of affection. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up to find Tom looking down at her.

"Amara?" he asked.

"No, it's Dakota," she replied. "His wolf is hurting so much. I can feel his pain," she cried softly.

Tom stared at her in shock. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know." Dakota glanced back at Rory and grimaced as a bout of pain washed over her. "I wish there was something we could do for him."

"I'm gonna go fetch the doctor and let him know what's going on, okay?" Tom said.

"Thank you, Tom."

Tom left the room and she turned her focus back on Darragh. She informed him that the doctor was coming and he was grateful for that. They continued talking for a few minutes until the doctor arrived, bringing Dakota back to the present.

"Dakota, I'm Dr. Henderson," he said. "Rory's wolf is suffering, you said?"

"Yes," Dakota replied through gritted teeth. "And I can feel it. It's really bad."

"Hmm. I'm going to call our shaman, see if he can fix this."

Dakota blinked. "Your pack has a shaman?"

"Oh yes. There are some things modern medicine just can't treat."

She inclined her head to him. "Thank you, Doctor."

Tom sat down in a chair as the doctor left quickly and he rested his elbows on his knees, bending at the waist. "So, Dakota...it's a pleasure to meet you. I just wish it was under better circumstances," Tom explained.

"Me too," she answered.

It was at that moment that Henry walked in with some snacks and beverages. "Thought you guys might be hungry," he said.

Dakota nodded her head and took a bag of chips and a bottle of water from him, not daring to remove her hand from Rory's. A shot of pain went through her and she groaned out loudly.

"What's wrong, Amara?" Henry asked.

"It's actually Dakota right now. She's with Rory's wolf and he's hurtin' bad," Tom explained.

"Oh, I see," Henry said with a head nod. "Anything we can do about that?"

"The doctor is getting a shaman."

Henry's head jerked back. "A shaman?"

While Henry and Tom conversed, Dakota once again brought her full attention to Darragh.

 _"Hey, the doctor is going to find someone who can maybe help,"_ she said in the mind link.

 _"Well, that's a relief,"_ Darragh groaned.

Dakota stayed by his side for a long while but then she was interrupted by the doctor.

"Dakota?" he said.

"Hmm?" she said in response, turning her head towards him.

"The shaman is here."

Dakota looked past the doctor and saw a man in a dark blue sweater and beige khaki pants. She tilted her head to the side in confusion at the brunette.

"You...don't look like a shaman."

The man chuckled. "Well, what were you expecting?"

Dakota shrugged. "I dunno. Rafiki from The Lion King?"

The shaman burst into laughter. "That's funny." He walked over to Dakota, still chuckling a bit. "Well, my name is Samuel."

"I'm Amara's wolf Dakota."

He gave her a simple nod. "Let's see what we can do. Take my hand."

Dakota blinked but did as she was told. As soon as she did, she saw him in the mind link between her and Darragh.

 _"Woa,"_ she said.

 _"Yes, very woa,"_ he chuckled.

Darragh looked up at Samuel. _"Who are you?"_ he asked weakly.

Samuel knelt down next to him. _"My name is Samuel. I'm here to help with the pain."_

_"Thank you."_

Samuel laid his hands on Darragh's body and started speaking in a language that Dakota couldn't understand. It sounded like Latin, almost. Darragh started calming down and soon he fell asleep. Dakota's eyes went wide and the pain finally subsided.

 _"How did you do that?"_ she asked in awe.

 _"_ _I put_ _a spell on him to sleep,"_ Samuel replied nonchalantly.

_"Oh. And how long will that last?"_

_"Until I come back and take it off. And don't worry...your secret is safe with me."_

_"What secret?"_

_"You're a black wolf. I won't say a word."_

Dakota chuckled. _"Oh. Well, thank you."_

_"You're welcome. You can let go now."_

Dakota let go of Samuel's hand and she gazed up at him with a grin. "Thank you so much, Samuel."

He smiled back at her. "It was my pleasure."

While Samuel turned and left the room, Dakota let Amara come back out and Amara shook her head with wide eyes.

"Well, that was one hell of an experience," she said out loud.

* * *

Time passed and Tom and Henry had fallen asleep in their chairs while machines in the room beeped away, one of them being Rory's heart beat. The guards were snoring away but that wasn't the thing keeping Amara awake. She was too worried about Rory to sleep. Ocassionally nurses would come in to check if his wound had healed. Every time, Amara was met with more worry and disappointment.

She leaned her head down and kissed her mate's knuckles softly, still holding his hand and brushing her thumb along it.

"Rory..." she said tearfully. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I really miss you. I really wish I could hear your voice, mo caraid." A single tear fell down her cheek and she wiped it away. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you. I feel like I've failed you as a mate." Amara crawled into the bed next to him and kissed his cheek. "Please get better, baby. I need you with me."

The door opened and Amara looked behind her to see that it was Alpha Jason who walked in. He had a scowl on his face. She got the feeling he didn't like her very much. The man walked to the foot of the bed and crossed his arms, staring at Rory's body.

"How is he?" the Alpha asked.

"Same as before," Amara replied sadly.

"Hmm." He looked around at the sleeping guards and sighed. "Miss Jenson, may I be frank with you?"

 _"Uh oh. Here we go,"_ she thought.

"Yes you may," she replied.

"How come you do not have a scent?" he asked boldly.

Amara blinked a few times. Was that why he was acting so cold to her? "Oh. Well...it's because of this thing," she said, holding up her necklace. "It suppresses my scent."

Alpha Jason arched a brow. "And why would you need to suppress your scent?"

"Well, I don't need to anymore, but my scent used to be, um, very potent. It would drive unmated males into a frenzy and they'd want to mate with me," she explained.

"I see. And it doesn't anymore?"

"As far as I know."

"What changed?" he asked curiously.

"Rory and I completed the mating process," she answered.

"Uh huh. Then why are you still wearing it?"

"Well, I haven't really...tested out whether or not my scent is okay now. And also...well, if..." she swallowed hard. "If Rory, um...doesn't make it, I would be unmated again. So...not taking any chances," she explained tearfully.

Jason cocked his head to the side. "Are you that certain he won't survive this?"

"No, of course not!" she snapped. Alpha Jason gave her a look of incredulity and she shut her eyes with a huff of breath. "Sorry. No, I'm very much hoping that he'll live."

"Okay. So, why is your scent so crazy?"

Amara bit her lower lip, not wanting to tell him it was because she was a black wolf. She didn't know how he'd react and he might just kick her and Rory out of there.

"I don't know," she said with a shrug.

Jason gave her a suspicious look. "Hmm." He pulled up a chair and sat down in it. "So where did you get the idea that mating would change your scent to normal?"

"...From a book."

"So this...condition has happened to werewolves before?"

"Yeah."

"I see." Jason gave her a soft smile. "You know, I'm an unmated male myself. Why don't you take the necklace off and we'll see if your scent is still...potent?"

Amara went bug-eyed. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. Why not?"

She inhaled deeply through her nose. "Um, okay."

She reached behind her neck and unclasped the necklace before slipping it off and setting it on the bed. Alpha Jason started sniffing the air and smiled pleasantly.

"Well, while your scent is very nice, I have no desire to mate with you," he said, chuckling at her.

"Oh thank Goddess," she said with a breath of relief.

Just then a nurse came in. "Alpha," she said with a head bow. Alpha Jason acknowledged her with an inclination of his head and she walked around him to the side of the bed. "Okay, let's see if his wound has healed yet."

Amara watched as the nurse pulled back the blanket and lifted up Rory's hospital gown. She took the bandage off his injury and sighed.

"How's it looking?" Amara asked.

"It's still there with no sign of healing," she said.

"Dammit!" Amara growled loudly, making the nurse jolt. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that."

"It's alright. I understand your frustration," the nurse assured her.

As the nurse left, Amara heard a phone ringing. She looked at Alpha Jason. "Is that yours?"

He shook his head and stood up. "No, I think it's coming from the locker."

Amara got out of bed and walked to the locker that was holding Rory's personal items. She opened it and dug around, finding his phone. The caller ID said "Malcolm" so she answered it.

"Hello?" she said.

 _"Who are you?"_ the voice on the other end said coldly in a Scottish accent.

"I'm Amara. Rory's mate. Who are you?"

_"Rory's mate? He found another one?"_

Amara scrunched up her face in confusion. "What do you mean?"

_"Nevermind. Look, this is his brother Malcolm. Can I speak to him please?"_

Amara frowned and brushed her black hair back. "Malcolm, your brother...he...he's in the hospital right now."

_"...What? Is he okay?"_

"For now, he's stable. But he's in a medically induced coma."

_"Oh my Goddess. What happened?"_

Amara felt tears roll down her cheeks. "He was stabbed with a knife coated in wolfsbane and silver nitrate."

_"No...please tell me you're pulling my leg, lass."_

"I'm afraid I'm not," she said, looking at Jason who looked confused. Amara placed a hand over the receiver. "It's Rory's brother."

Alpha Jason nodded. _"Well, how did this happen?"_

Amara sniffled. "We were at a Metallica concert and I had to leave for a few minutes to take a phone call, then when I got back, before I could get to him, he'd been stabbed."

 _"Mac galla!"_ [Son of a bitch!]

Amara closed her eyes, more tears falling as she explained the rest of the story to Malcolm. When she was finished, Malcolm told her he was making arrangements for a flight to the states. Amara explained that they were not at home so she'd have to ask permission for him to come there. Alpha Jason agreed. Malcolm then informed her that his mate Skye and his parents would also be coming. Again, Alpha Jason agreed to this. They talked for a few more minutes, Amara and him exchanged numbers, then they both said their goodbyes and hung up.

As she was putting Rory's phone back with his belongings, she began to mull over something in her head.

 _"Malcolm said, "he's found another one?". What did he mean by that?"_ she wondered.

Did Rory have another mate before her? And if he did, what happened to her? Was she alive? Did he reject her? Then she remembered something about Rory saying he'd never put his mate through the pain of rejection. So...had his previous mate rejected Rory? That thought alone made her furious. How could anyone reject her Rory? She looked over at him and frowned.

"What are you thinking about, Miss Jenson?" Alpha Jason asked.

"Just...something that his brother Malcolm said, is all. Nothing important."

Alpha Jason nodded in understanding. "Well, I should be heading home. You take care, Miss Jenson."

"I will. Thank you," she said.

As Alpha Jason left, Amara crawled back into bed with her unconscious mate and stroked his hair.

"Oh, my poor mo caraid. Who could reject someone as sweet and kind and handsome as you?" she asked out loud.


	27. The Shaws

Amara woke up after drifting off to sleep. She grunted and opened her eyes slowly, looking around at her surroundings. Tom and Henry were still asleep in their chairs. How long had she been asleep? She checked her phone and saw she'd been asleep for a few hours. As she got out of the bed and stretched, a nurse came in with a grin.

"Hello, I'm here to check on Mr. Shaw," she said.

Amara nodded with a yawn. "Okay," she said.

The nurse lifted the blanket and went to check on Rory's wound. As she glanced at it, she looked at Amara with a smile.

"His wound is healed," she said.

Amara gasped and smiled brightly. "That's great! So, can he be woken up now?"

"Let me go get Dr. Henderson and he can tell us how to move forward," the nurse said before leaving.

Amara walked to Tom and Henry. "Hey guys, wake up."

Tom snorted awake as Amara shook his shoulder. "Mmm, what?" he asked sleepily.

This made her giggle. "Henry, wake up."

Henry slowly opened his eyes and looked around, widening his eyes before looking at her. "Oh, hey there. What's up?" he asked lazily.

"Rory's wound is healed so the doctor is gonna come in and see if Rory can wake up," Amara explained.

"Oh that's great news!" Tom exclaimed.

"Yes!" Henry shouted.

Amara shushed him. "Keep it down, it's after midnight."

"Oh, sorry."

Amara sat in a chair and sighed, waiting for the doctor to show up. After about thirty minutes or so, Dr. Henderson came in with Samuel.

"Ah, hello gentlemen. Miss Jenson. I've been told that Mr. Shaw's wound has healed so we can take him off the coma drip, the ventilator and the dialysis. I just need to check his vitals real quick," the doctor said.

Amara gave a nod of understanding and watched as the doctor began his examination. Once he was satisfied, he called for a couple nurses to come in.

"Samuel, you can wake his wolf now," the doctor said.

Samuel nodded and pressed a hand to Rory's forehead. After a few minutes, Samuel removed his hand and smiled at Amara.

"He is no longer in pain," he proclaimed.

Dakota rejoiced in Amara's head and Amara put a hand to her heart in relief. "Thank you so much, Samuel."

"You're welcome. Well, if that's everything, I shall take my leave."

The doctor nodded him away and Samuel left the room. After the examination was complete, the nurses began taking the patient off the dialysis machine. Needles were pulled from Rory's arm after the tubes were drained from the blood that was in them, then she watched them take her mate off the coma drip. As the dialysis machine was taken away, they worked on the ventilator next. Amara cringed when she saw them pull it from Rory's throat. Once that was done, the doctor faced Amara.

"Well, now all we have to do is wait for him to wake up," he said.

"How long will that take?" Amara asked.

"Six to twenty four hours."

"Geez," Amara said with wide eyes. "That long?"

"Yeah. He'll have bouts of wakefulness here and there, but they will be rather short and he won't be very coherent."

Amara sighed and got up, walking over to the bed. She ran her fingers through his red, curly hair and she sighed. "So all we can do now is wait?" she asked.

"Yes. If you'd like, I can call the Alpha and see about sleeping arrangements at the pack house."

Amara shook her head. "I'm staying. I don't know about you two," she said, looking over at Tom and Henry, "but you guys can go if you want."

"Naw, I'm staying," Henry said.

"Me too," Tom said.

Amara smiled at them both. "Thanks."

Doctor Henderson nodded. "Okay then. Well, we can have a few beds brought in here so you guys can sleep comfortably," he offered.

"Oh man, that would be great, thanks," Tom said, cracking his neck. "I'm starting to get sore from being in this chair."

"Alright, I'll have the beds brought in."

"Doctor, thank you. For everything," Amara said to him.

The doctor gave her a curt nod. He walked out of the room and Amara yawned, crawling into the bed with Rory. "Oh, by the way...Rory's parents, his brother and his brother's mate are all coming to see him," Amara expressed.

"All the way from Scotland?" Henry inquired.

"No, from Timbuktu," Amara giggled.

Henry rolled his eyes. "Ha ha, very funny."

Amara pulled out her phone and started typing in a text to Gabriel.

_Rory's wound healed so they took him off dialysis, ventilator and coma drip. He won't wake up for at least six hours, maximum being twenty four._

She sent it off and yawned again before snuggling in next to Rory. "I'm gonna go to sleep right here," she said quietly before slipping herself under the covers.

"You sure?" Tom asked.

"Mmhmm. I want to be as close to him as I can."

She kept her phone on and shut her eyes. After a few minutes, she fell asleep.

* * *

"Amara..." someone whispered in her ear.

"Hmm?" she said, taking a deep breath in and opening her eyes. "What is it?" she mumbled softly.

"You've been asleep for a while, kid. We brought you breakfast."

Amara blinked a few times and turned over to see Tom holding a bag from Burger King and some orange juice. She took a whiff and immediately smelled eggs, cheese and sausage along with hashbrowns. She sat up and slowly took the bag and drink from him.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome."

Amara looked out the window and saw daylight. She yawned and opened up the bag. "How long was I asleep for?"

"About nine hours. You were really tired," Henry said.

"Mmm," she said, reaching in and grabbing food. She unwrapped the item and saw it was a sausage egg and cheese croissanwich. Amara licked her lips and took a greedy bite, looking over at Rory. "Has he woken up at all?"

"Nope. Still asleep."

"Damn."

Amara took another bite of food and swallowed before opening the small carton of juice and drinking it. It tasted fantastic. She groaned with satisfaction before taking another bite of her breakfast sandwich.

"Oh man," she said, sighing. "This is so good. Thank you so much for getting me food."

"You're welcome," Tom replied. "By the way, we also went and checked you guys out of the hotel and got your stuff."

Amara looked over at one of the beds and saw her suitcase and travel bag. "Oh, well thank you!"

As Amara was still eating, she checked her phone. She had one missed call from Malcolm and a text message from Janine. She checked the message first.

_How is Mr. Shaw doing? How are you doing?_

Amara frowned and typed a response back before sending it.

_Doctor took him off the ventilator, the dialysis and the coma drip. Still hasn't woken up. And I'm doing okay. Looks like he's going to make it._

Amara took the last bite of her sandwich and dialed Malcolm's number. It rang a few times before she heard a click.

 _"Hello, Amara,"_ Malcolm said.

"Hello. Sorry I missed your call. Did you have a nice flight?" she asked.

_"Yes, we flew privately."_

Amara's eyelids twitched a couple times. "Privately? You guys have your own plane?"

_"Several, in fact."_

She whistled a bit. _"How rich are these friggin people?"_ she thought.

"I see. Well, where are you now?"

_"We're about twenty minutes away from you. We had a little trouble at the border but nothing serious."_

"Oh, okay. Well, I'll see you guys when you get here."

_"Sounds good. See you soon."_

Amara hung up and immediately got nervous. She just realized she was meeting her mate's family.

"Oh shit..." she said.

"What?" Henry said.

"I'm about to meet Rory's family. Oh Goddess," she whined, holding her face. "What if they don't like me?"

"Oh, you'll be fine."

Amara got out of bed, went to the bathroom and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. "I look like crap!"

She ran to her travel bag and opened it to find her toothbrush, toothpaste and hairbrush. She also got a change of clothes and some makeup before rushing back to the bathroom. After doing her hair and teeth, she changed into a red turtleneck sweater and blue jeans, slipping her tennis shoes back on. She applied light makeup with eyeliner, mascara, some light red eye shadow, pink lipstick, and some dark red rouge to her cheeks. Amara then raced back out and put her stuff away. She turned and looked at her guards.

"Am I presentable?" she asked.

They both gave her a thumbs up. She looked at the time. She'd spent a good fifteen minutes getting ready. Announcing that she was going to meet the Shaw's downstairs, she raced out of the room down the hallway and to the elevator. Her heart was pounding and her breathing was erratic as she pressed the button to go down. The doors opened and she got in before she pressed the first floor button.

While the doors closed, Amara wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. She tried to take deep, calming breaths.

 _"Relax, Amara. Everything is going to be fine,"_ Dakota assured her.

 _"Here's hoping,"_ Amara said.

The elevator dinged and Amara rushed out. She saw some people at the receptionist desk and stopped dead in her tracks. One of them looked like an older version of Rory, so that must've been his father. The older woman had long, curly brown hair and the greenest eyes she'd ever seen on anyone. Then there was another man and a woman. The man looked almost exactly like Rory except his hair was brown and his eyes were also green. The woman was blonde with blue eyes and they all looked so...perfect. Amara gulped and slowly walked to them.

Malcolm was the first to notice her. "Are you Amara?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes. You must be Malcolm."

"Alpha Malcolm," the older man corrected.

Amara bowed her head slightly. "My apologies, I didn't know he was the Alpha."

"Rory didn't tell you?" Malcolm asked.

Amara sighed. "To be honest, we're still learning about each other. We've only known each other almost two weeks and we just started our relationship."

"I see. Well, Rory was always the private type." Malcolm smiled at her. "Anyway, I'm Alpha Malcolm Shaw. This," he pointed to the blonde woman, "is Luna Skye. And these are my parents, Douglas and Lorna Shaw."

Amara smiled at them all and bowed her head. "My name is Amara Jenson and it's very nice to meet you all. I wish it was under better circumstances. Anyway, I bet you're all anxious to see Rory, so...shall we go?"

"Yes, please," Lorna said.

Amara noticed Skye and Douglas looking her up and down and she bit her lip. It wasn't in a creepy way that they were looking at her. It was more like they were deciding if she was up to snuff. If she was good enough for Rory. She turned around and walked to the elevator with everyone and pressed the button. It dinged open and they all walked in, then Amara pressed the third floor button and the door closed.

"So, how did you and Rory meet?" Lorna asked.

 _"Oh Goddess..."_ Amara thought.

"Um...he's the...math teacher at my school," she mumbled.

She heard a gasp. "You're one of his students?" Douglas inquired incredulously.

"Yes, but he was in the process of looking for another teaching job before...this happened."

"Hmm."

The doors opened and Amara quickly walked out and up the hallway to Rory's hospital room. She opened the door and looked at Tom and Henry nervously.

"Who are they?" Alpha Malcolm asked.

"Um...friends," Amara stammered. "Tom, Henry, these are the Shaws."

Tom and Henry said their hellos and all the Shaws replied in kind. Amara wasn't about to tell them that Tom and Henry were her guards. Everyone clambered in and swarmed around Rory's bed. It didn't go unnoticed by Amara how Luna Skye was looking at Rory. Guilt and regret were written all over her face.

 _"Why the hell does she look so guilty?"_ Dakota asked.

 _"I don't know,"_ Amara replied.

"Didn't you say he was on dialysis and a ventilator?" Alpha Malcolm asked.

"Yeah, but his wound finally healed so they took him off all that sometime after midnight," Amara explained.

"So...he's going to be okay?" Skye asked.

"Looks that way. We're just waiting for the drugs to wear off so he can wake up. It's gonna take a while, might take all day for him to-"

A low grumble came out of Rory and Amara froze. Everyone looked at him and she immediately got closer to the bed. She sat down next to him and grabbed his hand.

"Rory? I'm here," she said.

Rory grumbled again and his eyes slowly opened. Amara took note of how glossy and unfocused his eyes were, but his eyes rested on her nonetheless.

"...Mmm, Amara..." he mumbled.

Amara chuckled and stroked his hair. "Baby, your family is here."

"...What?" he muttered.

"Yeah...your parents, your brother and his mate are-"

A low, animalistic growl came from Rory's throat and Amara gasped. She saw Skye flinch and eyed the Luna skeptically. Rory then shut his eyes and Amara knew he'd gone back to sleep.

"Why did he fall back asleep? Is that bad?" Lorna asked.

"No," Amara assured Rory's mother. "He's gonna be in and out for a while until he finally becomes coherent."

"Cha bu chòir dhomh a bhith air tighinn," Skye said. _[I shouldn't have come.]_

"Chan e, mo ghaol. Na abair sin," Malcolm said, patting her hand. _[No, my love. Don't say that.]_

Amara watched the two converse in Gaelic, barely able to pick up what they were saying. Luna Skye suddenly burst into tears and Alpha Malcolm held her close. Amara was very confused. Lorna went to them both and pat Skye on the back while Douglas looked at Amara strangely.

"So, Rory found a mate and never told us, you're a student of his and you two barely know a thing about each other. What makes you think you're good enough for my son?" Douglas asked bluntly.

Amara's mouth went agape. Tom and Henry shot out of their seats with growls coming from their chests. _"What the hell did he just ask me?"_ she thought.

"Douglas!" Lorna hissed.

"Well, for starters, I'm not going to reject him like his first mate did!" Amara snapped after standing up.

The tension in the room rose and was thick enough to cut through. Douglas and Amara stared each other down, neither of them breaking eye contact. She already didn't like this guy.

"What do you know about his first mate?" Douglas spat out.

"That's all I know. I put two and two together after what Alpha Malcolm said to me on the phone," Amara answered with a snarl at the end. "You don't know me, so don't act like you can judge me, Mr. Shaw! You have no idea the circumstances Rory and I had to go through just to be together!"

Douglas cocked his head to one side, then he suddenly smiled and looked at his wife. "Tha spiorad làidir aig a 'bhoireannach seo. Is toigh leam e," he said. _[This woman has a strong spirit. I like it.]_

Lorna frowned at him. "Douglas, cha bu chòir dhut dragh a chuir oirre mar sin." _[Douglas, you shouldn't bother her like that.]_

Amara was getting really annoyed at the fact that they were talking in a language she barely knew. Again, she was able to pick up some words but not a lot.

"Dè? Faodaidh mi a-nis a ràdh gun dèanadh i Luna math." _[What? I can now say that she would make a good Luna."_

Amara squinted her eyes. _"Why does he have me and Luna in the same sentence?"_

Lorna scoffed. "Douglas, tha fios agad nach e Rory an Alpha tuilleadh." _[Douglas, you know Rory is no longer the Alpha.]_

"Bu chòir sin atharrachadh a-nis gu bheil e air a chompanach a lorg." _[That should change now that he has found his partner.]_

Malcolm cleared his throat loudly. "Thug Rory an tiotal Alpha dhomh oir cha robh e ga iarraidh. Dè bheir ort smaoineachadh gu bheil e ga iarraidh air ais?" _[Rory gave me the Alpha title because he didn't want it. What makes you think he wants it back?]_

"Leig e dheth a dhreuchd oir dhiùlt Skye e!" Douglas barked. "B 'e Alpha a chòir-bhreith!" _[He resigned because Skye rejected him! Alpha is his birthright!"_

"Enough!" Amara shouted. The family and her guards looked at Amara in shock. "I have no idea what kind of family squabble it is you're having, but that's enough! If you must argue, then take it outside!"

The Shaws looked at each other and frowned. "Yes, quite right," Douglas said.

Amara took a big breath. "Excuse me, I need some air."

Amara walked out of the room and down the hall, went down the stairs and exited the hospital post haste. She took a few deep breaths. While she hadn't really been able to follow the whole conversation, she managed to figure out a very important piece of information.

Her mate, Rory Shaw, was an Alpha.


	28. The Truth Comes Out

Amara was pacing back and forth in front of the hospital, going over the information is her head.

 _"Rory's an Alpha...Rory's an Alpha...he's a friggin Alpha!"_ she thought. _"Or he was, at least. How could he not tell me this?!"_

 _"Maybe he was waiting for the right time,"_ Dakota chimed in.

 _"Perhaps,"_ Amara thought. _"Still, I don't think he should have kept something this important from me._ _"_ Amara's stomach growled and she sighed.

 _"How are you still hungry?"_ Dakota laughed.

 _"I dunno._ _I'm gonna go find somewhere to eat in this town."_

Amara looked around on her phone for the Maps app, then she started scrolling around for local restaurants. There was a cafe down the street so she decided to go check it out. She texted Tom and Henry to let them know where she'd be and she started walking down the street. As she passed by people, she got unusual stares from some. Amara wondered what that was all about.

 _"Well, it is a small town. Maybe it's because everyone knows each other?"_ she thought.

Amara finally reached the cafe and entered. All conversation ceased when she walked in and she suddenly felt very uncomfortable as all eyes were laid on her.

"Hmm, tough crowd," she said under her breath.

She went to the counter, cleared her throat and leaned over a bit to get one of the employee's attention.

"Excuse me, do you guys serve flavored coffee, by chance?" she asked.

"We sure do," said a man looking in his late teens. "We have mocha, caramel and vanilla."

Amara looked up at the menu board and squinted an eye. "Hmm, I'll have a large caramel and a blueberry muffin, please."

"You got it. Is this for here or to go?"

"For here."

"Alright. That'll be eight dollars and thirty four cents," the boy said after putting the items into the register screen.

Amara paid him and found a seat over by one of the big windows. She plopped down and sighed, wishing she had brought a book with her. Instead she decided to play a game on her phone while she waited for her small meal. After a while she got bored with her game and huffed as she put it on the table. The boy came by with her food and she thanked him before taking a sip of her coffee. It was delicious.

When she nibbled on her muffin, Amara's phone beeped. She swiped the screen and saw it was a text message from Janine.

_I'm glad Mr. Shaw is doing better. I know you said you're okay but how are you really feeling?_

Amara looked up to try and process that. She was upset. Heart broken. Scared that Franklin would go after her mate again. Overwhelmed by Rory's family. She sighed and texted Janine back.

_Well, I'm not really okay but I'll survive. Rory's family is at the hospital right now and I'm at a cafe down the street. They were all arguing in Gaelic._

Amara set the phone down and took another bite of her muffin, then she downed more coffee. Her phone beeped again and she looked at it.

_Lol I bet that was a hoot._ _Did you understand any of it?_

Amara smirked and typed a response.

_Well, I suppose it was funny in hindsight._ _But they were saying Alpha and Rory's name a lot. They also mentioned Skye, Rory's brother's mate. His father said something about Alpha being Rory's...something._

Amara sighed and placed the phone back on the table. She continued eating and drinking and another text came in.

_Wait, so Rory was supposed to be an Alpha?_

Amara bit her lip.

_Either he was an Alpha or he was supposed to be, yeah. I think they were arguing about that._

She took another drink of coffee and her phone beeped once more.

_Don't tell them you're learning Gaelic. Try and see if you can sneak more information out of them._

Amara frowned at the idea.

_I don't want to be deceitful and not let them know. It actually was a bit rude that they were talking in another language right in front of me._

Amara looked around at her surroundings. People were still looking at her funny and some children were even pointing at her. It made Amara suspect something was going on. Her phone beeped again.

_Yeah, that is a little rude. But don't think of it as being deceitful. Besides, it's not like you know everything they're saying, just small bits and pieces._

Amara made a face of agreement and nodded.

_True. I hope Rory doesn't wake up while I'm gone and tell them I've been trying to learn Gaelic._

"Hello, Amara," a voice said.

Amara looked up and saw Alpha Malcolm standing by her.

"Alpha..." she said with wide eyes. "Hi."

"May I sit?"

"Sure."

Malcolm took the seat across from her and smiled. "I must apologize for how my family was acting back there. We have...a difference in opinions, my father and I."

Amara nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. "Yeah, I uh...heh, figured it was something like that." Her phone beeped but she ignored it.

Malcolm chuckled. "As for my father, I must apologize for his behavior too, but he was only prodding you like that to measure your character. If it helps, you passed the test."

Amara laughed gently. "Oh, so that's what he was doing..."

"Yes."

Amara looked down into her cup. "Alpha, I must be frank, here. I don't know much Gaelic, but you and your father kept saying "Alpha" and Rory's name. I don't suppose you could tell me about why Rory chose to rescind his Alpha title?" she asked, looking at Malcolm to measure his reaction.

He blinked a few times in shock. "How do you figure that?"

"Call it a hunch based on what I could gather from your arguments back there."

Malcolm chuckled. "Not much gets by you, does it?"

"Nope."

"Well, you are correct with your hunch. Rory was our Alpha but then he resigned and I took over."

"I see. May I ask why?"

Malcolm gave her a frown. "I'm not sure it's my place to say, lass."

Amara nodded. "You're probably right. I apologize. When Rory wants to tell me, he will."

Malcolm smiled gently. "So, tell me about the day you two met."

Amara giggled and took a bite of her muffin. "Well, I was walking into the school. Our math teacher had been fired the day before so I figured we were gonna have a substitute for a while. Then I walked into class and saw him and..." Amara paused, her cheeks flushing. "He was the most beautiful man I'd ever laid eyes on. This was before I knew he was my mate, though. I hadn't turned eighteen yet."

The Alpha sitting across from her widened his eyes. "Oh boy," he chortled. "When did you turn eighteen?"

"Last Sunday."

"Okay," he said, nodding. "Please continue."

"Well, I get bullied a bit at school and Rory was kind enough to discourage that from happening in class. Later that day, I got ambushed by wolves after school and your brother helped me out." Amara sipped on her cup of caramel flavored coffee.

"Hmm, why do you get bullied, if I may ask?"

Amara froze. "Well, why does anyone get bullied?"

"Fair enough. He saved you from some wolves?"

"Yeah, just more bullies, really. Anyway, he brought me home, he got invited for supper after telling Alpha Gabriel about what happened, and then I took him on a tour of the house."

Malcolm raised a brow. "Alpha Gabriel?"

"Yes, I live with the Alpha, the Luna and their son and daughter. I'm like an adopted daughter, you could say."

"Really...where are your parents?"

Amara took one last sip of her coffee. "Killed by rogues in a raid on my old pack. I was the only survivor."

"I'm so sorry," Malcolm said with a frown. "That must've been hard for you."

"It was."

"Did you have any siblings?"

"No. I was the only heir."

Malcolm raised a brow. "Heir? Your father was the Alpha?"

"Yes, so I was going to be Alpha after him."

"A female Alpha. Huh, interesting."

Amara's phone beeped again and she looked at it. It was a text from Gabriel.

_Glad he's doing better. Keep me posted._

Amara typed back a response.

_Will do._

Amara finished off her muffin and looked at Malcolm. "So, perhaps we should head back to the hospital?"

"Yes. I'm eager to see if my brother has woken up yet."

The two left the cafe and headed back to the hospital. When they got back to the room, Amara resumed her seat next to Rory and pulled out her phone. She had a text from Janine.

_From the sound of things, he won't wake up very soon._

Amara nodded and put her phone away, looking down at Rory and stroking his face. He suddenly leaned into it and groaned before opening his eyes, making Amara smile.

"Hey, baby," she said.

Rory smiled a little and opened his eyes further. Amara could tell he still wasn't very coherent but she loved that she could bring a smile to his face. The family, Tom and Henry got up and surrounded his bed again.

"Baby, your family is here," she said close to his face.

Rory blinked a couple times and looked at his mother. "Mum?" he grumbled.

Lorna smiled brightly with tears in her eyes. "Hello, Rory."

Rory looked over at his father and blinked. "Dad?"

"We're here, boy," Douglas said softly.

Amara wondered if Rory was finally coming out of it. She bent down and kissed his cheek. "Your brother and his mate are here too," she said.

Rory blinked a few times and shook his head gently. "Skye is here? Why would she..."

He suddenly drifted off again and Amara sighed. This was a little frustrating but she needed to be patient. She had so many questions, though. Like why he didn't mention that he'd been an Alpha or why he gave the title to his brother. Something felt off about it.

Over the course of the day, Amara and Rory's family got to know each other a bit better. Lorna spent a good portion of it telling Amara all about Rory's childhood and embarassing moments. Amara got some good laughs out of it. On occasion, she would notice that Skye seemed very much on edge and would keep glancing at Rory with a look in her eyes that couldn't be placed, almost like a longing. Amara wondered what that was about. It was making her feel on edge herself because she found she didn't like the way Skye was looking at Rory.

Amara tried to ignore it but Skye kept on doing it. And on the occasion that Rory would become a little conscious, Skye would kind of stay behind everyone as if she didn't want Rory to see her. The behavior was very strange. Nurses came in sometimes to check on his progress and the doctor examined him a few times to make sure he was okay. During one of those times, Rory woke up and called out for Amara. She was quick to be by his side.

"Hey," she said with a grin, stroking his cheek with her fingers. "Is my mate waking up now?"

"Mmm," he mumbled, opening his eyes and looking at her.

He looked more aware than he looked the first time he woke up so that was a good sign. The nurse checked his eyes and nodded.

"Looks like he's finally coming out of it," the nurse said. "I'll go fetch the doctor."

Rory blinked as the nurse walked away. "Coming out of what?" he asked. "What's going on?"

Amara grasped Rory's hand and kissed it. "Rory, you were in a medically induced coma."

Rory's eyes flashed with shock and he tried to sit up. "What?"

Amara pushed him back down gently. "Woa, easy there, baby. You gotta take it easy."

Rory looked absolutely flabbergasted. "W-wh...what the hell happened to me?" he demanded.

Amara sighed. "Rory, I need you to calm down so I can explain, okay?" she said, pressing a hand to his chest.

He immediately started calming down and he nodded as he stared up at her. "Okay."

"Good. Now, what's the last thing you remember?"

Rory looked deep in thought as if he was struggling to remember something. "We were at the concert. I was looking for you and then some guy came up and stabbed me."

Amara nodded. "Yeah. The blade was coated in wolfsbane and silver nitrate. We got the antidote for the wolfsbane just in time but the doctor had to put you on dialysis to clear the silver from your blood. And you were in a lot of pain, so she put you in a coma."

This seemed like a lot for Rory to process. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Barely a day, baby. It's Sunday."

Rory flopped his head on the pillow. "I really wish we'd gotten to see the rest of the concert."

Amara giggled. "Me too."

Rory lifted his head and looked around the room, seeing his parents at the foot of the bed. More shock exploded on his face. "Mum? Dad? What are you doing here?"

Lorna and Douglas got closer and Amara moved more towards Rory's head so his parents could get closer. "Hello, son. We came to see how you were doing," Douglas said. "What happened to you was very serious."

Rory blinked up at his father, then he turned his head and focused on Malcolm. "Ha, hey Malcolm."

Malcolm walked to the other side of the bed and clasped a hand on Rory's shoulder. "Hello, Bràthair Mòr." _[Big Brother.]_

Rory chuckled but then he looked at Skye and his face went white. Amara looked between the two of them and crossed her arms.

"Skye..." Rory said, wetting his lips. "You...why are you here?"

Skye began to fidget, looking at Amara for a split second before looking back at Rory. "Cha mhòr nach do bhàsaich thu. Bha mi airson mo caraid fhaicinn." _[You almost died. I wanted to see my mate.]_

Rory narrowed his eyes. "Do caraid? Is e Malcolm do caraid! Dhiùlt thu mi! Cuimhnich?" he shouted, making Amara and everyone else flinch. _[Your mate? Malcolm is your mate! You rejected me! Remember?]_

Amara blinked wildly. If she had the translation right, Rory said "your mate?", Malcolm was Skye's mate and that Skye...did something to Rory. Whatever it was, it must have been bad.

 _"Rory, what did she do to you?"_ Amara asked in the mind link.

Rory looked up at her with a frown. _"She was my mate, Amara. She rejected me for Malcolm_ _,"_ he replied with a sadness in his tone.

Amara felt her heart stop. Skye was Rory's first mate? She'd figured out that Rory had been rejected, but to find out that it was Luna Skye...to be in the very same room as the one who'd hurt her Rory...A low growl emanated from Amara's throat as she glared at Skye. She got up from the bed and started to shake with anger.

"You," she pointed at Skye. "You put _my mate_ through that kind of pain? And you have the fucking audacity to show up here?!" Amara yelled, then her eyes turned to Malcolm. "And you...you just...stole his mate from him?!"

"Amara," Rory said, reaching for her arm and grasping it. "Be calm. There's a wee bit more to the story, lass."

She glanced down at her mate, and suddenly everything clicked. "That's the reason why you stepped down as Alpha and moved here, isn't it? It was because she chose Malcolm over you."

His mouth dropped. "How...how did you know I was the Alpha?"

"They were arguing in Gaelic earlier and they kept mentioning "Alpha" and your name. Alpha Malcolm all but confirmed my suspicions for me."

 _"Actually, it was more like I picked up bits and pieces of what they were saying, like Alpha being your...what was the word?_ _Chòir-bhreith_ _,"_ Amara explained.

 _"Birthright,"_ Rory said.

He sighed, rubbing his face. "I'm sorry you had to find out like this, baby. I should've told you."

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Yes."

"Then you have nothing to be sorry for, mo caraid." Amara turned her focus back on Skye and Malcolm. "As for you two, you definitely have something to be sorry for and you're lucky that I haven't ripped you both to pieces!" Amara bellowed loudly.

Someone cleared their throat and everyone looked at the door to see Dr. Henderson standing there.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I've come to check on Rory," the doctor said awkwardly.

As the doctor came in to examine Rory, Amara kept her angry eyes on Luna Skye.

 _"Oh, I'd really love to kill that bitch,"_ Dakota snarled.

 _"Me too,"_ Amara said bitterly. _"And she better keep away from Rory, or I'll definitely kill her."_


	29. Arrangements

"Well, everything appears to be in order, Mr. Shaw. You have a clean bill of health," Dr. Henderson said.

"So does that mean I can go?" Rory asked.

"Yes, I just have to grab your discharge papers."

Dr. Henderson left and Rory looked down at his clothes. He was in a black long sleeved shirt and dark gray slacks. As he was putting on his suit shoes, he looked over at his mate Amara. He felt bad for keeping her in the dark about him being an Alpha and having been rejected by his first mate, but he was grateful that she wasn't mad.

Still, he could feel her anger towards Skye and Malcolm through the mate bond. If only he could get her to calm down, to see that it really was no big deal...

 _"Oh, but it was a big deal,"_ Darragh pointed out. _"You were devastated for weeks, Rory."_

Darragh did have a point. _"Okay, fine. It was a big deal but what's done is done. It no longer matters and in my opinion, I got a much better mate out of it,"_ Rory observed.

Darragh chuckled. _"That you did. Did you see how angry she got with them? It was kinda hot how she defended you like that."_

Rory smiled a little at Amara. _"Yes, it was."_

 _"You should retake the role of Alpha and make Amara your Luna,"_ Darragh blurted out.

A huff of air escaped Rory. _"Darragh, we've been over this. Malcolm is the Alpha now."_

_"But he never wanted to be Alpha and you know it._ _And don't you miss Graham and Ewan?"_

Rory frowned at the mention of his Beta and Gamma. He did miss Graham and Ewan. He'd have to give them both a call one of these days.

"Rory?" Amara said.

"Hmm?" Rory responded.

"We um, we have a meeting with the Elders on Wednesday. About, you know..."

He inclined his head in understanding. "I'll take time off that day. What time is it at?"

"Nine A.M."

"Hmm, okay." Rory noticed how uncomfortable Amara was looking and blinked. "Something on your mind?"

"What are we gonna do about your family? We could let them stay for a few days. I could ask Gabriel to allow them to stay."

Rory cocked his head to one side. "What about Skye?"

Amara narrowed her eyes at him. "What about her?"

"Look, I know you're angry with her, but-"

Amara yanked herself up quickly. "Angry? No, I'm friggin livid! She put you through the pain of rejection!"

"And it was for the best." He stood up and walked over to her. "Besides, now I have you. I'd say it was a good deal."

Amara's forehead crinkled up and she looked at her mate playfully. "Well, when you put it that way..."

Rory chuckled and wrapped her up in his arms, kissing the top of her head. "There's no one I'd rather be with than you, mo caraid."

Amara burrowed into his chest. "Rory?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you love her?"

Rory looked down at his lovely mate and smiled. "No. It was just the mate bond that made her more like a...mild obsession."

 _"Mild, my ass!"_ Darragh interjected. _"You were completely obsessed with that woman!"_

An eye roll is what Rory did as a response to that. Amara raised her head to glance up at him with a smirk.

"Am I just a mild obsession?" she asked.

"Absolutely not," Rory answered without hesitation. "You're my dream woman."

A blush formed on her cheeks. "Such things you say..." she whispered.

He smiled. "You're kind, loving, strong, and so very bonnie and I count myself lucky to have found you, mo caraid." Rory lowered his head and laid a soft peck on her lips. "And when we get home, the first thing I'm going to do is make love to you."

Amara's cheeks went even more red. "Rory," she said with an amused giggle.

He burst out laughing. "I love how bashful you get. It's cute."

Amara smirked mischievously. "Oh shut up," she said, smacking his shoulder flirtatiously.

Rory lifted her up and kissed her. "Mmmm..."

Amara moaned, sending chills up Rory's spine. Every sound she made, every time they touched, every expression she gave him was enough to make him turn into putty in her hands. The joy of having a mate who actually wanted him was almost too much to bear. It made his eyes water and he sniffed, caressing her black locks in his hands. Amara looked up at him with a frown.

"What's wrong, mo caraid?" she asked.

"I'm just so happy, baby," he said, holding her close to his chest. "So happy that you actually want me."

Amara frowned and cupped his face. "Of course I want you. Luna Skye was a friggin idiot to let you go."

Rory chuckled lightly. "Maybe, I dunno. I should tell you the circumstances as to why she rejected me and chose to be with Malcolm instead."

"Please do. It might make my urge to rip their heads off less. _Might_."

Rory laughed loudly and nuzzled her nose with his. "Darragh is right. You'd make a good Luna."

"...Are you going to go back to being an Alpha now that you have a mate?"

Rory shook his head. "No. I couldn't uproot you from your home. Besides, Malcolm is Alpha now."

Amara shrugged. "I wouldn't mind living in Scotland."

"You wouldn't?"

"No. Besides, I was trained most of my life to be Alpha anyway, so how different could it be from being Luna?"

Rory tilted his head to one side. "You were going to be the Alpha of your old pack?"

"Yeah. I was an only child." She cleared her throat. "Now, as for the circumstances of your rejection..."

"Right. Well, she was already Malcolm's girlfriend since high school. They both love each other very much. So when we found out we were mates, well, she took some time to make her decision, but she ultimately chose Malcolm over me."

She frowned. "You still seem sore about it, though."

"I am. It was...difficult to deal with the rejection, but I had to accept. The rejection made it hard for me to remain as Alpha, so...I stepped down and gave the role to Malcolm. They marked and mated, she became Luna, and...I left."

"So this was quite recent?"

"Yes. A little over...two months ago. After stepping down, I took a globe and twirled it, then my finger landed on Casper, Wyoming. I decided to move there."

Amara blinked a few times. "So...you got to Wyoming based on chance?"

"Or fate."

This made her smile. "And how did your family take you leaving?"

"...Not well. My father thinks I shouldn't have stepped down. A part of me agrees. I liked being Alpha. I was a good one, at least I thought so. But...ever since the rejection, my mind was consumed with grief and I found it hard to lead the pack. My mother was devastated. My brother, he wasn't happy to be Alpha to begin with but me leaving made him less happy. And Skye, well...honestly, I could give two shits about what she thought. Anyway, none of us separated on the best of terms and I hadn't spoken with any of them since."

A frown formed on his mate's face and she cupped his cheek. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. So, when Malcolm called..."

"That was the first time in almost a month that anyone tried to contact me. I don't know why he called, though. Perhaps I should ask him."

The door opened and Dr. Henderson walked in, handing Rory some papers. "Here you go, just sign here," he said, giving Rory a pen.

Rory signed his signature on a few pages then the doctor gave him a copy. The couple thanked the doctor and he left. They both looked at each other before grabbing their things and leaving the room. Amara got her phone out and looked at her mate as they walked.

"So, should I call Gabriel to have your family and Skye stay for a few days?" she asked.

"Sure," Rory said with a smile.

Amara nodded and dialed Gabriel's number. He answered when they got in the elevator.

"Hi Gabriel," she said. "We're just leaving now. I wanted to ask you something, though. Would it be a burden if I asked his family to stay in our territory for a few days?" Amara paused. "Uh huh. I haven't asked them yet. I wanted to clear it with you first." Another pause. "In our house? Um...well, uh...I'm not sure that would be the best idea. You see, the Luna is with them and..."

Rory tensed up a little, knowing that Gabriel knew all about what happened. Amara tipped her head to one side, eyeballed him when the doors opened and they walked out.

"I see, so...yeah. I...guess it would be fine? I'm not so inclined to beat the crap out of her now, so I can be...civil," Amara said.

The statement made Rory chuckle. He loved how protective his mate was. It filled him with pride and he wondered if Skye would have ever acted that way.

 _"I doubt it. Skye doesn't have Alpha blood. Amara does. You know full well how possessive and protective an Alpha-blooded individual can be,"_ Darragh said.

"So, how is, um...Benjamin doing?" Amara asked sheepishly. A growl escaped Rory and Amara blinked at him. "What?"

"Why do you care about how he is doing?" Rory snarled.

Amara rolled her eyes and brushed him off. "I see. Well, maybe I should avoid him for a few days by not being at home? No, I'm not trying to get out of being grounded."

They got to the hospital doors and exited the building. Rory's family, Skye, Tom, Henry and some guy were waiting for them.

"Okay Gabriel, I'll talk to you later." Amara hung up the phone.

"Who's that?" Rory asked.

"That's Alpha Jason, the leader of this pack," she replied.

Amara and Rory both bowed their head to him. "Alpha," they both said.

"I'm glad your mate is doing well, Amara," Jason said.

"Yes. Thank you for your hospitality in our time of need, Alpha Jason. We owe you a great debt."

Jason crossed his arms with a smile. "It was my pleasure, Amara. I might take you up on asking for a favor in the future as payment," he said with a wink.

"Of course," Amara said, her cheeks flushing a little.

 _"I don't like the way he said that,"_ Darragh snarled.

 _"Me either,"_ Rory said.

"Thank you again, Alpha Jason," Rory said. "But we should get going."

Alpha Jason shook hands with Rory then with Amara before taking his leave. Amara then walked up to Rory's family.

"If you would like, you could stay with my pack for a few days. Visit with Rory and all that," she said.

"That would be delightful," Douglas replied. "Malcolm, what do you think?"

Malcolm nodded his head. "I agree. Getting here was a wee bit tiresome. Where will we be staying?"

"At my house. We have plenty of guest rooms to accommodate you," Amara responded.

"Sounds good."

As Amara and Malcolm started talking about flying arrangements, Rory glanced over at Skye. An all too familiar tug on his heart happened when their eyes met, but it was barely felt. The rejection was still fresh in his mind, but now he had his second chance mate to help with his feelings. Did he still feel a stirring for Skye? Yes, but it was extremely suppressed now. Still, it bothered him that it was there at all. Shouldn't the bond have been severed by now, though? After all, Rory had accepted the rejection so why was there still feelings present?

He realized they'd been staring at one another so he looked away towards his other mate. He was extremely proud to have Amara in his life and he couldn't be happier. This was the right thing. And yet he still missed being Alpha of the Oceans Howl Pack. Amara had expressed some interest leaving her home and becoming Luna. Had she been serious, though? And he knew Malcolm had not wanted to be Alpha in the first place.

"Rory?" Malcolm said.

"Hmm?" he said, directing his attention to his younger brother. "Yes?"

"Would you mind driving with me? I have something to discuss with you."

 _"Uh oh,"_ Rory thought.

"Sure," he said, wondering what could be so important. "You don't mind, do you Amara?" he asked, looking at his girlfriend.

"Not at all. Tom, Henry and I can return the rental and meet you at the air field. We're taking the jet," she said excitedly.

Rory nodded and people started piling into their cars. Rory sat shotgun with Malcolm, Skye opting to ride with Malcolm's parents. Rory was relieved for that. As they drove away from the hospital, he realized that Malcolm looked a little nervous.

"Alright, what's this about?" he asked his little brother.

"You have to come back and be Alpha," Malcolm replied.

"What? Why?"

"Because I was not meant to be Alpha. The pack has very little respect for Skye and me. They question my decisions at every turn. Even Graham and Ewan question me. They aren't happy at all that I'm Alpha. Dad's been helping me learn but it's not enough."

Rory sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Malcolm, it's just growing pains. You have to make them respect you. Prove yourself as an Alpha. Rome wasn't built in a day."

"Yeah, fine, but did you have any of these problems when you first became Alpha?"

"A little, but it eventually died down."

Malcolm sighed. "Some of the pack has asked for you to come back, though, like all the fucking sub leaders. They don't approve of how I run things and they are all very upset with Skye for rejecting you."

Rory hadn't realized things were that bad. He sighed and looked at his brother. "Alright, look. I don't know about regaining my title, but I can at least...come back and hold a meeting with all our sub leaders. I will tell them that this is all for the best."

Malcolm growled. "You're not getting it, Rory!" he shouted. "I don't want this! I'm miserable and Skye is miserable!"

"Then appoint Graham as Alpha."

"Rory, please. Just...just think about it. Please," Malcolm pleaded.

Rory rolled his eyes. "Fine. I will think about it, but you know this means that Amara would become Luna, right? Don't you think people would have a problem with an American being our Luna?"

"They'd still treat her better than they're treating Skye."

Rory frowned. There was also the fact that Amara was a black wolf. "Malcolm. I need to tell you something about Amara. And you cannot tell anyone. Not Mum, not Dad, not Skye...nobody. Okay?"

"Okay. What is it?"

"...Amara is a black wolf."

Malcolm slammed on the brakes, the tires screeching to a halt. When the car jolted to a stop, Malcolm looked at Rory with a bewildered expression.

"Amara's a what?!"


	30. Decisions

"She's a what?!" Malcolm yelled. staring bug eyed at Rory.

Rory sighed. "She's a black wolf. You really think the pack would accept her if they knew? She has a hard enough time with the pack she's in now!"

Malcolm ran a hand over his face. "Oh my Goddess...and you still want her as your mate?!"

Rory narrowed his eyes. "She is _not_ a curse, Malcolm. It's all a bunch of bullshit!"

"How do you know?"

"Because I know why she's considered a curse and it's been dealt with!"

Malcolm arched a brow. "It has?"

"Yeah," Rory said with a scoff, turning to face his little brother. "Her scent was a kind of aphrodisiac for unmated males. There was a whole batch of them who chased her at a basketball game, but the only way to fix her scent was for her and I to mark and mate. And now that we're mated, she's fine."

Malcolm blew out a loud breath. "Damn. That's...did her scent affect you?"

Rory laughed. "Oh yeah. Drove me absolutely insane. That's when I found out she was my mate. She'd kept that knowledge from me."

"Why would she keep it from you?"

"For a number of reasons. She had a boyfriend at the time, I'm her teacher, she has a black wolf and she was worried I would reject her."

Malcolm huffed and slumped in his seat. "This is problematic." He sat straight back up. "But if you come back as Alpha, everyone would respect your decision to have her as the Luna regardless of her being a black wolf, I guarantee it!"

Rory raised his brow at Malcolm, giving him a "really, dude?" sort of expression. "You're just saying that so you can get out of being Alpha. You were just asking me how I could still want her!"

"Yeah but after you explained her...scent thing, I'm not opposed to her being a black wolf."

Rory sighed. "So you think that if I just...explain that to people, they'd be okay with it?"

"Yeah."

"Well, be that as it may, I might not even get the chance."

"What do you mean?"

A frown appeared on Rory's face. "There's an Alpha out there who wants Amara as his Luna specifically because she's a black wolf. And he has the grounds to do it based on a contract her father and this Alpha made years ago."

Malcolm's jaw dropped. "Why would he want a black wolf as his Luna?"

"I have no idea. I've been trying to find that out but I've come up with nothing."

A horn honked behind them and they both looked out the back window. There was a line of cars behind them. Malcolm cringed and started driving again. As he sped up he eyed Rory.

"I am being serious, though. I can't handle being an Alpha. It is far too stressful for my disposition," Malcolm explained.

"And what does Skye say about all this?" Rory asked skeptically.

"You let me worry about her."

Rory groaned and ran his hands through his hair. "Alright, alright. Let me think about it and talk it over with Amara, okay? And for Goddess sakes, don't tell anyone about any of this."

"My lips are sealed, Brother."

* * *

"Amara, why haven't you told Rory's family about us being your guards?" Tom asked as he drove.

Amara was in the back, looking out the window at her surroundings. "I didn't want to complicate things. It would have led me to tell them that I'm a black wolf and I'm not sure how they'd deal with that piece of information," she explained sadly.

"You do make a valid point," Henry pointed out. "Black wolves are frowned upon, especially in the UK, I've heard."

This did not comfort Amara and made her less inclined to be made Luna of Rory's pack despite having previously shown interest in doing so. She wished she knew more about the history of black wolves but there wasn't exactly a plethora of reading material back home. She was going to have to do some major searching for books. Maybe she could find some online. Amara quickly pulled out her phone and started browsing the internet for any mention of black wolves and their history. She found jack shit about them and sighed, feeling defeated.

Once they'd returned the rental car to the rental car place, Amara, Tom and Henry climbed into the SUV that Douglas was driving. They had followed Amara and her "entourage" so that they could get a ride back to the airfield. She was glad she didn't have to sit next to Skye but it didn't stop either of them from glaring at each other on occasion. The tension in the car was very thick and Douglas and Lorna were trying to find ways to relieve it.

"So, Amara, how did you and Rory meet?" Lorna asked.

"Well, he replaced our old math teacher. She'd gotten fired and-"

"Why was she fired?" Lorna inquired curiously.

 _"Oh dear..."_ Amara thought.

"Um...she said some inappropriate stuff to a student. She was very much out of line. Anyway, the day after-"

"What did she say to the student?"

"I don't know. Anyway, the day after she was fired, I walked into class and there he was. I was automatically smitten," Amara said, chuckling.

A growl came out of Skye and Amara looked at her. _"What the hell is she growling for?"_ she thought.

 _"Why don't you ask her?"_ Dakota said.

_"I don't think I'll like the answer."_

"Tell us about when you two found out you were mates," Lorna stated.

Amara swallowed hard. "Well, I...I actually kept that information from him. You see, I had a boyfriend at the time and, well, Rory is my teacher, so..."

"Really?" Lorna said, looking back at Amara. "How did you manage to keep your scent from him?"

"Um...I had anti-scent spray."

"Why did you have that in the first place?" Douglas asked, looking at Amara in the rearview mirror.

 _"What is with all the friggin questions?!"_ Amara thought.

"Um, well, I have...or had a scent condition."

"A scent condition? What scent condition?" Douglas pried.

"My scent was very, um, potent...and would drive unmated males nuts. But now that Rory and I have finished the mating process, I no longer have this problem," Amara explained.

"Oh. Well, I've never heard of such a thing."

"It's a very rare condition."

"Huh. I see."

Skye huffed and crossed her arms. "Carson a thàinig oirnn dràibheadh còmhla rithe? Tha i gam fhàgail tinn," Skye growled. _[Why did we have to drive with her? She makes me sick.]_

Lorna cleared her throat. "Stad a 'gearan. Dhiùlt thu mo mhac as sine. Is e seo karma," she said bitterly. _[Stop complaining. You rejected my eldest son. This is karma.]_

"Na toir an tòn sin leam! Is mise Luna!" Skye snapped. _[Don't take that tone with me! I am Luna!]_

"A-riamh bho fhuair thu a-mach gu robh caraid ùr aig Rory, tha thu air a bhith gad ghiùlan fhèin mar phàiste millte! Cha robh thu gad ghiùlan fhèin mar Luna!" _[Ever since you found out that Rory had a new mate, you've been behaving like a spoiled child!_ _You haven't behaved like Luna!]_

Amara watched the two argue in Gaelic and softly smirked to herself. She had no idea what they were saying, really, but she wished she had some popcorn.

By the time they arrived at the airfield, Lorna and Skye were almost at each other's throats based on their yelling and body language. Amara could see her mate outside with Malcolm near a large white jet and once the car stopped, she immediately got out of the car, ran to Rory, jumped into his arms and kissed him. He laughed into her mouth and held her up in his arms.

"Mmm, did someone miss me?" he asked.

"Absolutely! Your mom and Luna Skye were bickering for quite some time!" Amara said, laughing.

"About what?"

She shrugged. "Hell if I know, it was all in Gaelic."

Malcolm laughed and scratched his forehead. "You'll have to excuse my mate, Amara. She's been a bit...out of sorts as of late."

Amara eyed Malcolm and sighed, realizing she wasn't really mad at him anymore, especially after Rory had explained things. "Is she jealous or something?"

"Yes, unfortunately. A true mate bond is a hard thing to break away from," Malcolm said sadly.

Amara frowned. "Doesn't that make you feel bad? Doesn't she realize what her jealousy is doing to you?"

"It'll pass. She just needs time."

Amara nodded and slipped herself from Rory's grasp. She looked up at the jet in awe. "This is a pretty big jet."

Malcolm laughed. "Yes, it is. It fits fourteen passengers. Has a kitchen and even a bedroom."

Amara raised a brow and gave her mate a suggestive look. "A bedroom, huh?"

She saw Rory's cheeks redden and she giggled. "Now you stop that," he chuckled.

Skye, Lorna and Douglas finally came over. "Are we ready to board?" Douglas asked.

Amara, Malcolm and Rory nodded and soon they were all on the plane. Amara looked around in shock at how beautiful the interior was. It was decorated with black and white, the floor having black carpeted square patterns. There were a bunch of white and black leather seats and a few white leather couches with little black pillows. There were a few tables with some chairs facing each other and one of the tables had a chess board on it.

As Amara walked through, she saw another room that had a small kitchen with bottles of champagne, a fridge, and a black island in the middle. It was connected to another room with more seats and couches. There was even a fake fireplace. Then Amara spotted the bedroom in the back and she peeked inside. Still going for the black and white decor, the king sized bed had a black velvet blanket with four white pillows leaning against a black wooden bed frame.

"Wow," she mumbled. "This is all so...wow..."

Rory chuckled and wrapped an arm around her. "This is my parent's best jet."

"Is that why they brought this? Do they have smaller ones?"

Rory sighed. "I assume they brought this one in case they talked me into coming back home," he said, resting his chin on her shoulder as he held her from behind.

"And have they?" she asked curiously.

"...Not quite."

She turned and looked at him with a scrunched up face. "What do you mean, "not quite"?"

He looked behind him at his family and then back at her, grasping her hand. "Let's go to the bedroom and talk."

Amara nodded and he led her into the bedroom, shutting the door behind them. They both sat down on the bed and Rory turned to face her, holding her hands in his.

"Malcolm is very stressed out about being Alpha. Apparently things have gotten kind of bad in my absence and the pack members have shown very little respect for him and Skye as leaders," Rory explained. "They all want me to return as Alpha."

Amara frowned. "Is it really that bad?"

"According to Malcolm, yes."

She sighed and looked down at her hands. "Well, it's understandable, I suppose. But if you went back, does this mean I'd become Luna?"

"Yes."

Amara quirked her lips to one side on apprehension. "And what about me being a black wolf? I heard they're especially hated in the UK."

"We'll cross that bridge if it comes to that. I mean...I'm not even sure I want to go back. I loved being Alpha but your happiness is far more important, mo caraid."

"My happiness?" she said. "What makes you think I wouldn't be happy in Scotland?"

"I'd be taking you away from your family and your home," Rory said with a frown. "That's the last thing that I want."

Her fingers intertwined with his. "Rory, if being Alpha would make you happy, then do it. If me being your Luna makes you happy, then I'll do it. Besides, don't you miss your family and home?"

A big smiled was plastered on his face. "You'd do that for me?"

She pressed her palm to his cheek and gazed into his eyes. "I would do anything for you, Rory Shaw."

His smile got brighter and he leaned over to her, kissing her heatedly. Amara kissed back with just as much vigor and passion. Wrapping her up in his arms, he lowered her onto the bed and nestled between her thighs as he peppered kisses all over her jawline and neck.

"You beautiful, wonderful woman," he growled lovingly.

Amara giggled into his hair and kissed his forehead. "Such things you say..."

"So...we're really doing this?" he asked huskily, looking down into her emerald eyes.

"Yes, if it's what you truly want," she replied with a smile.

He ripped off his coat and tossed it to the side, nibbling on the flesh of her throat. Amara leaned her head back to allow him easier access. When he kissed her mark, she shuddered in pleasure. She leaned up to remove her own jacket, flipping an arm to get it out of the sleeve. Rory laughed.

"Here, let me help you," he said with a chortle.

He helped her out of the coat and flung it aside before returning his mouth to hers. Amara ran her hands through his hair and gripped tightly, making Rory grunt and bite her lower lip. Her tongue darted out to lick his lips and he pushed his own out to dance with hers. Moans filled the room as they started undressing each other.

Amara was thoroughly enjoying this and she couldn't imagine her life without this man. She needed him so much. Each day she was falling harder for him.

He nipped at her earlobe and she moaned, now being very distracted from her thoughts. As he was about to pull her pants down, there was a knock on the door and Rory let out a low growl.

"What is it?" he barked out.

"We're about to take off, guys," Malcolm's muffled voice said with a tint of amusement. "You two can copulate later."

Amara burst out laughing and held her stomach. Rory snarled and reached for his black button down shirt while she grabbed her red turtleneck. They both put them back on, grabbed their coats and walked out of the bedroom to take their seats. Amara lifted a window flap and watched as the plane began to move around. Eventually they were up in the air and she watched everything on the ground get smaller.

 _"So, should we tell them?"_ Amara asked Rory in the mind link.

 _"If you're comfortable with that,"_ Rory replied.

_"I am."_

Rory looked at her with a smile. Once they were high enough in the air, the two got out of their chairs and held hands as they walked down the aisle to Rory's family. He cleared his throat.

"Um, Mum? Dad? Malcolm? Skye?" Rory said nervously.

Douglas, Lorna, Malcolm and Skye all looked at the couple. "What is it, son?" Douglas inquired.

"We have an announcement to make."


	31. A Confession

The family and Skye all perked up to hear what Rory had to say.

"We're listening," Lorna said.

 _"Oh man, this is so exciting!"_ Darragh exclaimed.

Rory cleared his throat. "Malcolm has informed me of the trouble going on in the Oceans Howl Pack, and...well," he paused to look at Amara who gave him an encouraging grin and nudged his arm. "We've decided, per Malcolm's request, that I should retake the mantle of Alpha."

Skye shot up out of her seat. "Excuse me?!" she snapped, looking at Malcolm. "When the hell did this happen?!"

Malcolm sighed. "Darling, sit down."

"No, I won't sit down! You couldn't have discussed this with me first?!"

"I was going to but I didn't realize they were going to come to a decision this quickly!" Malcolm shouted as he stood up.

Skye stomped her foot. "This is ridiculous! Well, I'm not giving up my Luna role to this...this," she motioned to Amara with a flailing of her arm, "American!"

Rory raised a brow. Okay, now he was definitely glad that Skye was not his mate anymore. She was acting like a child. That wasn't exactly a Luna like quality.

"Skye! Sit down and be quiet!" Malcolm bellowed in his Alpha voice.

Skye immediately did as she was told and Rory smirked a little. He had a hard time believing that their people didn't respect Malcolm, especially when taking authority like that.

"Alpha Malcolm? Are you sure you are having problems with respect?" Amara asked amusingly.

Malcolm looked at her and laughed a little. "Yes, I'm sure."

Skye crossed her arms with a scowl on her face, looking away from the couple. Amara looked at Rory.

 _"If we're really doing this, then I need to not keep secrets from them,"_ she said in the mind link.

Rory gaped at her. _"No, you can't tell them that you're a black wolf!"_

_"Why? They're gonna find out eventually, might as well be now_ _. I'm not afraid of who or what I am, Rory."_

Rory smiled at her with pride and inclined his head to give her his blessing. Amara looked over at the family and sighed.

"Um, just one thing. If I'm going to be Luna, there's something you need to know about me. It will come as a shock and you might want to throw me out of the plane once I tell you," she laughed nervously.

Douglas arched a brow. "Okay? What is it?"

"Amara," Malcolm said. "Are you sure you want to say this?"

Amara tilted her head to one side. "You know?"

"Mmhmm. Rory told me...and I support you one hundred percent."

Amara squinted her eyes at Rory. "Really? You had to tell him?" she said with incredulity in her voice.

 _"Uh oh, we're in trouble,"_ Darragh said.

"I'm sorry, mo caraid. We were talking in the car about you becoming Luna and...well...I felt that he needed to know before continually asking me to become Alpha again," Rory explained.

"...Fair enough, I guess," Amara sighed. "Anyway," she looked at Rory's parents. "Alright...do you remember what I said in the car about me having a...scent condition?"

"Yes," Douglas replied. "Go on."

Amara bit her lower lip. "Well...the reason for that is because...um...I'm a black wolf."

Lorna gasped. "What?"

Douglas' jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

Skye merely scoffed. "Why does that not surprise me? You guys cannot let a black wolf become a part of our pack, let alone become Luna! She's a curse!"

Rory growled and took a step towards Skye. "Say that again and I will rip you to shreds!" he shouted furiously.

Malcolm got in between Skye and Rory. "Okay, let's calm down! Please!" he yelled. "Rory, don't threaten my mate. Skye, don't call Amara that again."

Douglas got out of his seat. "Rory, you can't possibly want her as our Luna!"

"I do, and she will be if I'm to become Alpha again," Rory argued.

Douglas looked at Malcolm. "And what do you have to say about this?!"

"As I said, I support her one hundred percent," Malcolm responded.

Douglas threw up his hands before looking at Lorna. "And you?"

Lorna looked at everyone individually before standing up and making her way to a now less confident Amara. She put her hand on Amara's shoulder and took the other one to stroke Amara's face.

"You poor thing..." Lorna cooed. "I can only imagine how cruel people have been to you."

Amara gave her a sad smile. "It hasn't been _that_ bad...but I have more to tell you all."

"Oh great," Douglas said. "What now?"

Amara frowned. "There's this guy, Franklin Morrison...he's the Alpha of the Blood Pearl Pack. Apparently he and my father came up with an...arrangement. I was to be his Luna specifically because I'm a black wolf. In exchange, my pack would be safe from my...curse."

Lorna blinked. "How could your father do such a thing?"

"I don't know, but my mother was in on it too."

"Why would he want a black wolf as his Luna?" Douglas asked.

"Because black wolves produce very strong offspring," Amara replied. "That's why some think black wolves are a blessing."

Rory blinked at her. "How do you know that?"

"Franklin told me at the concert. He hounded me again before you got stabbed."

Rory narrowed his eyes. The thought of Alpha Franklin being near his mate infuriated him.

"He was there again and you didn't tell me?" Rory asked with a little heat in his tone.

"I'm sorry. I was going to say something but then you got hurt and had to be put in a coma and..." Amara frowned up at him. "He's so convinced that he's going to have his way, Rory. I think we should skip the Elder meeting and just leave as soon as possible."

He nodded and put an arm around her. "That might be best. Those Elders have no jurisdiction in Scotland."

"What Elder meeting?" Malcolm asked.

"We have a meeting with the Elders on Wednesday. They're going to decide if I have to go with Alpha Franklin and be his Luna."

Malcolm shook his head. "Okay, wait," he said, holding his hands up. "Amara, you said your dad made an arrangement with Alpha Franklin to make you Luna of his pack, right?"

"Yeah."

"And your dad was training you to be Alpha, right?"

"Uh, yes?"

"And how long ago was the contract made?"

"When I was a baby, I believe."

"So...why would your dad be training you to take over your pack if he and your mum were planning on giving you over to someone else's pack?"

Rory blinked a few times and crossed his arms. "Huh. That...he's right. It doesn't make sense for him to do that, does it?"

Amara looked up at Rory, blinking madly. "No. So...does this mean the contract is a fake?"

"Maybe," Rory replied. "It's not concrete evidence but...it'll definitely make Franklin look like he made the whole thing up."

Amara put a hand to her chest and started breathing heavily. "I think I need to sit down."

Rory helped his girlfriend to a chair and she put her head between her legs. He rubbed her back as Lorna crouched in front of her.

"Oh sweetheart, what's wrong?" Lorna asked.

"This is why Franklin tried to have Rory killed," Amara sniffled, looking up at her mate. "He knew the contract wouldn't be enough now that you and I are mated."

"Wait...this arsehole is the one who almost killed my son?!" Douglas' voice boomed.

"We believe so, yes," Tom said, standing behind Amara and patting her head.

This action made Rory growl and Tom chuckled before moving his hand away. Amara rolled her eyes.

"Oh relax. He didn't mean anything by it," Amara argued.

Rory smirked at her. "Hey, I'm not the one who threw some girl into a pool for touching me."

"That was different! She was flirting with you!"

"What happened now?" Lorna asked.

"At Amara's birthday party, some girl named Debra was flirting with me and when she touched my arm, Amara grabbed her and threw her into the pool," Rory explained, letting out a wheezy laugh.

Amara sat up straight and crossed her arms. "Hmph! She had it coming!"

Lorna, Douglas and Malcolm burst into fits of laughter.

* * *

Once the jet landed at the Casper Airfield, Amara looked outside to see some cars waiting for them. She saw Gabriel standing near one of them. When the jet stopped moving and the exit door opened, she ran out towards him and hugged him tightly, making Gabriel bark with joyous laughter.

"Hello, Little One. Miss me?" he asked.

"Of course!" she exclaimed happily.

She let go of Gabriel with a big smile on her face. On the plane ride, it had taken some getting used to but Douglas eventually came to terms with Amara being a black wolf so she was super happy about that. However, Skye was still a snippy little bitch about the whole thing and Amara did not like her at all.

"Gabriel, I have some news," she said.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Gabriel asked.

"We think the contract Alpha Franklin has is a fake."

He raised a brow. "Oh? Do tell."

"Why would my father and mother make this contract yet train me to take over the Pale Moon Pack as Alpha?"

Gabriel stroked his chin. "Hmm, you make a valid point." He looked behind Amara at the Shaws and smiled. "Are you going to introduce me?"

Amara nodded and turned around. "Alpha Gabriel, this is Mr. Douglas Shaw, Mrs. Lorna Shaw, Alpha Malcolm Shaw and Luna Skye Shaw. Everyone, this is Alpha Gabriel Forrester."

Everyone greeted Gabriel and shook hands while Amara went into Rory's arms. As their luggage was being put into the cars, Amara grinned up at her mate and kissed him softly.

"You seem happy," Rory commented.

"I am happy," she replied. "Incandescently happy."

She felt Rory nuzzle his face into her hair and she smiled brightly. "So, your place or mine?" he asked.

"Oh, you know I can't go anywhere. I'm still grounded."

Rory sighed. "Well, I have to go get my car from the airport anyway."

"Ooooh," Amara groaned. "Damnit. I really wanted to..." she looked up at him and wiggled her eyebrows.

Rory's hands roamed to her buttocks and squeezed, making her yelp lightly. "I'll come over after I've gotten the car. And then we can..." his eyebrows shifted up and down repeatedly as he smirked.

She giggled up at him and briefly pecked his lips. "Can't wait, mo caraid."

Before she could walk out of his arms, Rory grasped her tightly and pressed his lips to hers. Goddess, she couldn't get enough of this man. Her arms wrapped around him as she held him closer, still kissing his mouth deeply.

"Ahem, Amara? Mr. Shaw?"

The couple stopped kissing and looked at Gabriel. This made Amara giggle.

"Sorry, Gabriel. Anyway, we have some other news, too," she said.

"Oh really? What's that?" Gabriel asked with a smile.

Amara suddenly lost her confidence. What if Gabriel got mad and forbid her to leave for Scotland?

"I...um..." she started but paused.

Rory put an arm around Amara. "I've decided to go back to Scotland and regain my title as Alpha, which means Amara would be coming with me to be my Luna."

Gabriel blinked a few times. "You're serious?"

Amara nodded. "Yes," she said.

He ran a hand through his graying blonde hair, looking completely flabbergasted. "Amara, I...I don't know what to say."

"Are you mad?"

"No, of course not. I'm surprised. I never thought you'd want to leave the nest, Little One."

"This isn't about wanting to leave the nest, Gabriel. You and Sonya have been nothing but good and kind to me. You've given me a home to grow up in and I will always be grateful for that. But...Rory wants to go home and be Alpha. I want to follow him and be his Luna."

Gabriel frowned at her. "I see..."

Amara lowered her eyes to the ground. "I wish you could understand that."

"I do, Amara. It's just...this is all a bit of a shock to me," Gabriel explained. "So much has happened in such a short amount of time."

"I know," she muttered.

"Alpha Gabriel, I wouldn't be doing this if Amara didn't want to go. I was totally content in staying here in the states with her, but she insisted on my happiness," said Rory.

Amara raised her gaze to Gabriel. He nodded and sighed. "Alright. Well, let's get you home, Little One. We have planning to do and you still have work to do with the Omegas."

Amara groaned. "Okay..." she said with a dejected tone.

Rory chortled and kissed her cheek. "I'll see you later, mo caraid."

Amara watched Rory walk off with Malcolm to a car and she frowned before getting in an SUV with Gabriel and everyone else. They left the airfield and drove down the highway in the direction of home. She stared outside the window at the landscape and sighed. Amara was going to miss Wyoming, that much she knew. She was especially going to miss Casper Mountain. That's where the pack lived.

"Are you sure about this decision, Amara?" Gabriel asked her.

Amara nodded. "I'm sure, Gabriel."

He let out a soft sigh. "Sonya and Janine will be devastated, you know."

"I know," Amara said with a frown. "But it's not like I won't ever visit, you know. And you guys can come and visit us too."

"Yeah. I know, but it just won't be the same without you, kid," Gabriel said affectionately. "But we still have the Elder meeting to deal with."

"I know, but I'm not that worried about it anymore. Even if the Elders pass the motion, I have no intention of going anywhere with Alpha Franklin."

"I don't doubt it." Gabriel glanced at Amara briefly. "So, I hope the concert was great despite Mr. Shaw being stabbed?"

"Oh, it was great! We got to meet the whole band and Ozzy Osbourne!" Amara exclaimed happily. "We also went to the Mall of America and they had a Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant and a Carlo's Bakery! We had cannolis! And we went on a bunch of rides at the amusement park."

He cocked his head to one side. "They have an amusement park in the mall?"

"Uh huh! It's called Nickelodeon Universe, although a lot of people we talked to referred to it as Camp Snoopy. Apparently that's what the place was called before Nickelodeon bought them out. Anyway, we played some carnival games and arcade games and Rory won me a big bear!"

"Oh, so that's where that gargantuan sized stuffed animal came from..."

Amara laughed. "Yep!"

"Did you guys do anything else?"

"Yeah, we went back the next day and bought y'all souvenirs!"

"Oh good. I can't wait to see mine."

Amara turned in her seat. "Henry, could you grab that black plastic bag? The one that says Spencer's on it?" she asked.

Henry shifted in his seat and grabbed the bag before tossing it up to Amara. She deftly caught it and pulled out a black t-shirt that said, "My daughter went to the Mall of America and all I got was this lousy t-shirt". Gabriel barked with laughter when Amara read the words out loud.

"I tremble with anticipation to see what you got Janine and Sonya," he chuckled.

"I got Ben something too," she said with a smirk.

"You did? That's surprising. What did you get him?"

"An asshole certificate."

Gabriel wheezed out a laugh.


	32. School

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I was in a car accident in the middle of bum fuck nowhere and was stuck without service for a while. Like, it was literally in the middle of the night in the woods, no civilization for miles around. Literally the worst place to end up in a ditch. Luckily my son, my dog and I were not hurt but my car is basically screwed at least until spring, but that's another story.
> 
> This chapter is rated M for sexual content.

Once Amara and the Shaws arrived at home, the Shaws decided to immediately get some rest due to some serious jet lag so Amara showed them all to their rooms. When that was accomplished, she brought her luggage to her own room and started unloading everything. Afterwards, she went to go give Janine and Sonya their souvenirs from the trip. Sonya got a Minnesota keychain while Janine got a little teddy bear holding a stuffed heart that said, "I love Minnesota". They were extremely happy with the gifts. So much so that she didn't have the heart to tell them about her decision to move to Scotland.

Not able to face Ben, she took the asshole certificate and slipped it under his bedroom door before sneaking back into her room. As she settled down onto her bed, she patiently waited for her mate to come while reading her book about learning Gaelic.

About an hour had passed before she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in!" she called out.

The door squeaked open and Rory walked in. Amara smiled brightly and put a bookmark in her book before setting it on her nightstand. She got up and ran into his arms, kissing him heavily as the scent of cinnamon and ginger filled her nostrils. He laughed into her mouth and hooked his arms around her body to hold her close.

"Did somebody miss me?" Rory asked her.

"Tons!" Amara replied excitedly.

He chuckled and shut the door. "Sonya said dinner will be ready soon," he stated.

"Hmm," she hummed, kissing his cheek. "Do we have enough time for...you know what?"

"Definitely."

Amara giggled and kissed him deeply, running her hands through his curly red hair. Rory shirked his coat off and started unbuttoning his shirt. Once that was off, her hands lingered on his muscular chest and she groaned loudly.

"You are absolutely breath taking," she muttered before sucking on his mark.

He growled loudly and leaned against the door. "Mo caraid, you...mmm..." he grumbled.

Amara giggled and continued licking and sucking on his mark. Rory's hands roamed all over her body and soon her turtleneck was taken off to expose her bra. He grasped the back of it and took off the clasp, then he practically ripped the bra off Amara. She gasped as he grasped her breast to suckle on the nipple, pulling her lower body up close. She leaned her head back and moaned softly as his tongue played with the fleshy nub. Amara yanked him over to the bed and started undressing the rest of him. After that, she pulled her pants and panties down before kicking them off. As they crawled into her bed, Rory kissed her softly on the breast.

"Get on your hands and knees," he said.

"O-Okay," Amara stuttered, doing as she was told.

Once she was on her hands and knees, she felt Rory's hands on her hips as he went behind her. Amara looked behind her at him, seeing a big goofy grin on his face.

"I could get used to this view," he said, staring at her ass.

She laughed and wiggled her hips as she stared at him. This made his eyes darken and he softly rubbed one of her butt cheeks. His other hand went and caressed her mound, making her moan softly. Fingers slipped through Amara's slit carefully and she bit her lip from the pleasurable feeling. When she was wet enough, Rory positioned himself behind her. Amara flinched when she felt his tip enter her.

"Are you okay?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah," she replied, facing forward.

Rory entered her completely and her hands gripped the bed sheets. He started thrusting slowly into her and she closed her eyes tightly.

"That feels good," she groaned with a sharp intake of breath.

Rory made a deep pump and Amara whimpered. "Do you like that?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "Do it again."

As he did, she bit her lower lip and looked at him. His hands were gripping her hips tightly. Rory bent over and kissed her shoulder before increasing his pace. He ran a hand up her back and into her long black locks of hair, gripping tightly. Amara grunted and arched her back down as he thrusted into her. As she lowered her chest to the bed, Rory picked up speed. Grunts and moans echoed in her ears as she felt herself get hotter and more wet by the second. He went faster and harder as sweat built up on them both and their chests heaved from the exertion of making love.

Soon Rory flipped Amara over onto her back and reinserted himself, her legs wrapping around his waist and hands entangling in each other's hair. Deep, passionate kisses were placed on their mouths while he rolled his hips against her core. Amara felt her orgasm begin to build and soon enough, she cried out into Rory's mouth as the pleasure of her climax hit. He followed soon after and once he was spent, he collapsed on top of her, kissing and suckling on her shoulder.

"That was amazing," Amara whispered with a giggle.

Rory laughed wheezily. "Yes it was."

He rolled over onto his back and she cuddled up close to him, pressing her ear to his chest. She bit her lip and frowned, thinking about what had happened at the Metallica concert. She'd almost lost her mate to death. Within seconds, his life had almost been snuffed out. The very thought brought tears to her eyes and she sniffled.

"Hey," he said, lifting her chin to look at her. "What's wrong?"

She frowned deeper. "You almost died, mo caraid. I was so afraid for you."

He quirked his mouth to the side and trailed a fingertip along her cheek. "Guess I've grown on you, huh?"

"You've more than grown on me, Rory. I..."

Amara was unsure how to say what she wanted to say. She barely knew Rory, had only known him for two weeks. And yet she felt her heart was full for him. Was it because of the mate bond or did she actually love the man? She had no idea what love even felt like so how could she know for sure? Amara licked her lips as she looked at him.

"...Can I be honest with you?" she asked.

"Always," he replied.

"I don't know what I feel about all this, Rory. I mean...I've never been in love before so how would I know what it feels like?"

He tilted his head up and she watched his adam's apple bob up and down. "Well, if I'm being honest, I've never been in love either. I have no advice to give you on the subject."

 _"Well, crap,_ _"_ she thought.

There was a knock on the door. "Amara, Mr. Shaw, dinner is ready!" Sonya said through the door.

"We'll be right down!" Amara called out.

The couple got out of bed, quickly got dressed and headed downstairs to the dining room where everyone, including the Shaws, were sitting. Amara's eyes immediately landed on Benjamin who looked like he was fuming to the core. She turned her gaze away and sat down next to Rory at the table. After Janine said grace, everyone started digging in. Amara twirled her pasta on her fork and took a bite, feeling heated eyes on her.

She looked over and saw Benjamin glaring at her and Rory so she upturned her lip a little and gave him a warning snarl. He quickly turned away after relaxing his features and Amara went back to eating.

"So, Amara," Janine said. "Dad said you and Mr. Shaw have some news?"

Amara slurped up her noodles and chewed with a head nod. "Yeah," she said, swallowing the pasta. "We do."

"Well what is it?"

Amara looked over at Rory who had a soft smile on his face. "Well, um..." she began. "We've uh...decided to move to Scotland."

Janine blinked and Sonya gasped while Benjamin widened his eyes. "What?" Janine asked.

"Yeah, um...Rory is retaking his Alpha title and I'm going to be his Luna."

Forks collapsed onto plates and Benjamin scooted out of his chair before storming out of the dining room. Gabriel sighed and shook his head. Sonya blinked wildly and scoffed.

"Amara, you...are you sure about this? I didn't even know Mr. Shaw was an Alpha," Sonya said.

"Well, it's a long story," Rory said graciously.

Skye shifted uncomfortably in her chair and Malcolm pressed a hand to her shoulder. "Yes, a long story for another time," Malcolm said. "But now Rory needs to reclaim his rightful place as Alpha with Amara at his side as Luna."

Amara smirked a little but then she sighed. "I know it's a lot to take in, but yeah."

Janine cleared her throat. "But what about Alpha Franklin? What about his contract to take you?" she asked.

Amara chuckled lightly. "That contract is a fake. He has no legitimate claim on me."

"How do you figure?"

"Well," Amara said, leaning back in her chair. "That contract was supposedly made when I was a baby, yet my father was still training me to become Alpha of my old pack. So, having a contract made for me to be some stranger's Luna doesn't make sense."

"I see," Sonya said. "Well, then obviously the Elders will see through that little scheme of his, right?"

"We're hoping so. That and Amara and Mr. Shaw have fully mated. Only death can break the bond and Mr. Shaw has done nothing to warrant his execution," Gabriel explained.

"So...everything will be okay?" Janine asked.

Amara nodded. "Yes."

Janine clapped her hands with joy. "Well that's good. But...Amara, I can't believe you're leaving."

"I know. But this is what I want." Amara grabbed Rory's hand. "This is what we want."

Rory kissed her hand with a smile. "I wouldn't be doing this if she didn't want this for us," he said to Janine.

A sigh came out of Sonya. "When are you leaving?"

"We haven't really decided yet but some time after the meeting with the Elders."

The conversation continued on as dinner was eaten and soon everyone was done. Amara helped Sonya and Janine clean up the table and wash the dishes. Once that was finished, Amara and Rory went up to her room and snuggled together on the bed to watch tv until it was time for bed.

"Spend the night with me?" Amara asked him.

"Of course," Rory answered.

The two got ready for bed, Rory opting to sleep in nothing but his underwear. Amara changed into a pair of gray pajama bottoms and a black tank top before crawling into bed with her mate. He held her from behind and kissed the top of her head after she shut the tv and nightstand lamp off.

* * *

Rory woke up the next morning with his mate in his arms, making him smile broadly. He kissed Amara's cheek before checking the time. He was waking up just in time to get ready for work. As he climbed out of bed, he felt Amara reach for him.

"Don't go," she mumbled sleepily.

He chuckled and kissed her softly. "I have to go to work, mo caraid."

"Oh poo..."

Rory barked with laughter and kissed her again. "I'll come back after work if you want."

"Okay," Amara groaned with a stretch.

He brushed a stand of hair from her face. "Tha thu ro bhrèagha airson faclan." _[You are too beautiful for words.]_

She giggled lightly. "What does that mean?"

"You are too beautiful for words."

A blush appeared on her cheeks. "Such things you say, Rory..."

Rory's lips upturned into a smirk. "I love it when you say my name."

He stared down at his mate in awe as she came up and kissed his chin. She was such a gorgeous creature and Rory found it hard to keep himself from undressing her right then and there to have his way with her. His body ached to have her but he knew he'd be late for work if he wasted another minute, so he gave her one last kiss before walking to his clothes and getting dressed. They said their goodbyes and he left the room.

He left the house, got in his car and drove off towards his own place. He'd have to put it on the market or perhaps he could keep it, he had no idea. He'd just moved in and he dreaded the idea of moving once more so quickly, but now that he was to be Alpha again, he could probably pay some movers to help. Or he could just sell all the furniture he'd bought. Or he could sell the house as is. He decided on the third option. He'd get in contact with a real estate agent later.

Mr. Shaw got to his house and quickly jumped into the shower to clean up. As the water was running down his body, his throats became muddled as the stress of the last couple of days left him. Him being stabbed, being put into a coma...that must've been hard on Amara, poor thing. Rory could only imagine how hard it would have been for him had the situation been reversed.

His thoughts drifted to Alpha Franklin and it made his blood boil. There was no chance in Hell that he would allow that man to take his mate. Amara was his and his alone.

 _"Getting pretty possessive of your mate, aren't you?"_ Darragh asked.

 _"I suppose so. Is that a bad thing?"_ Mr. Shaw asked.

_"No. Amara likes it when you get like that, remember?"_

Rory chuckled. _"Oh yeah. Goddess, what a woman."_

_"Yes. Her wolf, too. Dakota is absolutely perfect."_

After finishing with the shower, Rory completed his morning routine like brushing his teeth and shaving. He then dressed in a gray suit with a white button shirt and a black tie. After putting product in his curly red hair, he got his suit shoes on and gathered his school items before leaving the house. When he arrived at the school, the first thing he did was go to the teacher's lounge to scrounge around for some breakfast. He opted for coffee and a blueberry muffin.

"Ah, hello Mr. Shaw," one of the teachers said as she walked in.

"Hello, Miss Humbrey," Rory said. "How was your weekend?"

"Oh, same old, same old. How was yours?" Miss Humbrey asked.

"Oh, nothing eventful," he lied, digging his teeth into the muffin.

More staff clambered in to eat breakfast and soon Mr. Anderson walked in. He gave Mr. Shaw and the rest a nod before grabbing something to eat and leaving. One of the teachers whistled.

"Man, he is not happy," one of the teachers said.

"What do you mean, Mr. Hultz?" Miss Humbrey inquired.

"Well, he had to suspend two students last week for fighting in wolf form in the girl's bathroom. You didn't hear about that?"

"Oh, I did. Debra Mason and Amara Jenson, the cursed wolf."

Rory did not like where this conversation was going.

"Yeah. I heard Debra and Amara were fighting over the basketball game incident. I can't believe she was allowed to stay on the team," Hultz said.

Mr. Shaw felt his fists clench tightly. _"Shut them up or I will..."_ Darragh warned.

"Who, Debra?" Miss Humbrey asked.

"No. Amara. That...scent problem of hers is unnatural" Mr. Hultz replied.

"Well, what do you expect? She's cursed."

Mr. Shaw narrowed his eyes. He did not like the way these people were talking about his mate and future Luna. His teeth began to grind as the teachers continued discussing Amara in a negative light.

 _"How dare they talk about her that way! I'll kill them!"_ Darragh snarled.

"Oh come now," Mr. Farley interrupted. "Amara is a good kid. You guys shouldn't be talking about her that way."

"Yeah, it's not her fault that she's a black wolf," Mr. Pyke added. "Besides, some people think black wolves are blessings."

"Yet no one knows why," Miss Humbrey said.

"I know why," Mr. Shaw interjected.

Everyone looked at Mr. Shaw with confused looks. "You do?" Mr. Pyke asked.

"Yes. They provide very strong offspring," Mr. Shaw replied. "Black wolves themselves have superior abilities and Amara's the fastest runner in the pack." Rory swallowed hard. "Or so I hear."

Mr. Farley nodded. "Well, you're not wrong. Amara is our fastest wolf, but how do you know about black wolves providing strong pups?"

"...It's common knowledge in my pack back home," Rory lied.


	33. The Elders

Amara grunted in agitation as she scrubbed the pack house floor with hot, soapy water.

 _"This really sucks!"_ she thought.

 _"It does!"_ Dakota agreed.

Amara dipped the scrubber in the bucket of water and took it back out to scrub the floor some more. She'd been at this for hours now and she silently cursed the amount of pain she was in.

Once she was done with the hallway, she went and emptied the dirty bucket of water and refilled it with clean, hot water. She put a little soap in it and swished it around to make bubbles appear. Amara grabbed the bucket and went into the kitchen next. As she was scrubbing the kitchen floor, the head Omega, Clara, came in to check on Amara.

"I see you finished the hallway. Nice job, Amara," she said.

"Thank you, Clara," Amara said gracefully.

"I can do the kitchen. Benjamin needs help with the windows outside."

Amara blinked and looked over at Clara in surprise. "Benjamin's doing work on the house?"

"Yes. He's going to be working with us Omegas for ar least a couple of weeks. Whatever he did must've been bad," Clara remarked.

Amara smirked and handed the bucket to Clara before grabbing her coat and heading outside. She walked around the house a bit to find Benjamin on a ladder washing some windows. While she was still furious with him, she couldn't help but notice how cute he looked cleaning.

"Hey!" she called out.

Benjamin stopped what he was doing and looked down at her. "Yeah?" he asked.

"Clara said you needed help with the windows. Where should I start?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Anywhere, I guess?"

Amara frowned and nodded before looking around at the lower windows. She found a bucket of cleaning supplies and grabbed some stuff before heading to a set of the first floor windows. She sprayed a panel and started wiping with a towel.

Amara went at this for a good hour, cleaning all the first floor windows around the house while Benjamin finished up the second floor. They took turns working on the third floor windows considering there weren't that many. They didn't speak much, at least until they started cleaning the windows on the inside of the house.

"So...Scotland, huh?" Benjamin asked.

"Yeah," Amara replied. "Scotland."

"Hmm."

They went back to washing in silence for a few more minutes before moving to a new set of windows.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Benjamin inquired sadly.

"I'm sure. Rory really misses being Alpha and apparently his brother is having issues being Alpha, so we're going to relieve him of the responsibility," Amara explained.

"I see. So why did Mr. Shaw leave the position in the first place?"

Amara bit her lip, wondering if she should even say anything. "It's not really my place to say, Ben."

He smiled and nudged her side softly. "Oh c'mon, you can tell me."

Amara's mouth quirked up to the side as she looked at him amusingly. "Alright. He had a mate, she rejected him."

Benjamin almost dropped the cleaning towel he was holding. "You're shitting me. Who was his mate?"

"The current Luna of their pack."

He let out a whistle and shook his head. "Damn, that must be awkward."

"It is. I saw her this morning and I had to keep Dakota under control from coming out and biting her head off."

Benjamin wheezed out a laugh. "I really am gonna miss your feisty attitude when you're gone, Amara."

"Thanks."

He went back to spraying more liquid on the glass and rubbing with a towel. "So, if I may ask, how is he gonna juggle teaching and being an Alpha?"

"Before he left, he was going to teach night classes a few nights a week. You know, like a hobby."

"Ah," Benjamin said, spraying more of the window. "Is he still planning on doing that?"

"Yeah," Amara replied, scrubbing the glass. "Just a few nights a week, though."

"Huh. Well then, I wish you both the best of luck."

Amara stopped scrubbing and looked at him. "You're not mad about me leaving?"

Benjamin frowned. "I am...a little. But what can I do about it? Nothing."

Amara also frowned. "I'm sorry, Benjamin. But...it is what it is."

"I know."

The two finished the window and went on to the next one. As they sprayed and wiped, they continued talking. Amara was still mad at the guy but she had a tendency to not hold grudges against people, she found. At least not big ones. After a while, they were all done with the windows and were told they were done for the day. Amara and Benjamin left the pack house and walked on home.

Amara worked her ass off the next day at the pack house, but then Wednesday morning came and she was nervous and dreading the Elder meeting. Wearing a red silk frilly blouse and black slacks along with red high heels, some make up and her black locks in curls, she walked to Gabriel's car. Gabriel was standing next to his mustang in a black suit with a red tie and a white button down shirt.

"You look nice," Gabriel complimented.

"Thanks, so do you," Amara replied.

"Is your mate coming?"

"He should be out any minute."

Right on cue, Amara could smell her mate's scent and grinned. Soon he came up behind her and kissed the top of her head.

 _"You look radiant, mo caraid,"_ Rory said in the mind link.

Amara turned around to look at Rory. He was in a a light gray suit with a dark blue tie and dark blue button down shirt. His hair was slicked back with product and he was clean shaven.

 _"You look good enough to eat,"_ Amara said in his mind.

Rory chuckled and pecked her lips. "We better get going."

All three werewolves climbed into the mustang and headed out. It was a long drive to where the Elders were. At one point, Amara fell asleep in the back seat next to Rory, dreaming about her old pack, but she was jolted awake before it could turn into a nightmare.

"Amara..." Rory whispered with an arm hooked around her.

"Mmm?" she mumbled.

"We're here, baby..."

Amara pouted and opened her eyes to look out the window at some big buildings. They all got out of the car and Gabriel gave his keys to the valet. They walked into one of the buildings and Amara realized it was a very fancy hotel. They were greeted by a couple of men in suits and were then escorted to a big conference room. Amara wasn't sure what to expect but once they walked in, she was taken completely by surprise.

It wasn't just the Elders and Alpha Franklin that were there. There were some rogues, too, including the twins from Minnesota. However, they no longer smelled like rogues. And then there were other werewolves that must've been part of Alpha Franklin's pack. Amara immediately felt fear and clasped her hand around Rory's and Gabriel's hands.

 _"Relax, it's going to be okay,"_ Rory said in the mind link.

 _"Easy, Amara,"_ Gabriel said in the pack link.

Amara loosened her grip on their hands and held her head high as they walked to the big conference table and took their seats. She narrowed her eyes at Alpha Franklin who merely smiled at her. She scoffed and looked down the table at the Elders. There were five of them. Four men, one woman. All had long, gray hair and had various eyes shades of gold and silver. All were in black business suits. Amara immediately recognized the woman as Elder Raquel.

"Alpha Forrester, it is a pleasure to see you again," Elder Raquel offered. "And this must be young Amara. Gosh, you've really grown up."

Amara giggled with a nod. "Yes, Elder Raquel."

The head man at the table cleared his throat. "Now that we are all gathered, let the meeting begin." Everyone took their seats and the head Elder ran a hand through his hair. "Now, we are here to discuss the placement of one Amara Jenson into the Blood Pearl Pack, but I understand there are objections to this motion?"

"There is," Gabriel answered. "She simply does not want to go and she has declared that she will be joining her mate's pack in Scotland."

Amara watched Alpha Franklin who furrowed his brow at this revelation. The Elder raised an eyebrow.

"I take it this man is her mate?" he asked, pointing at Rory.

"Yes."

"Hmm. You both are fully mated now, yes?"

"Yes, Elder," Amara and Rory said.

"Well, that does complicate things. Alpha Franklin has a contract that says Amara was promised to him."

Amara stood up abruptly. "That contract is a fake."

"And you have proof of this falsehood?"

Amara stared down at the Elder. "Only that Alpha Morrison claims it was made when I was a baby. My father had trained me almost my whole life to become the future Alpha of the Pale Moon Pack, so why would he promise me to be in another?"

The main Elder looked over at Franklin. "Really..."

Franklin cleared his throat and got out of his chair. "Clearly, her father was training her to be Luna, as Alpha and Luna training are quite similar, and only said he was training her to be future Alpha. Clearly he didn't have the courage to tell her the truth."

Alara slammed her fist on the table. "How dare you insult my father!"

Gabriel placed a hand on her arm. "Easy, Little One..." he said. "Even if that was the case, Elder Portman, you can't ignore the fact that Mr. Shaw and Amara are fully mated. You can't possibly think about tearing them apart, especially over some questionable contract that no one had knowledge of until not even a week ago."

Elder Portman rubbed his chin, obviously deep in thought. "Alpha Morrison, why is it that you want Miss Jenson as your Luna?" he asked.

"She's a black wolf. Black wolves are blessings and produce extraordinary offspring," the Alpha replied.

Rory growled at Franklin. "If you think you're going to be impregnating my mate, you've got another thing coming!"

Elder Portman raised a hand. "Mr. Shaw, please calm yourself."

Rory relaxed and Amara rested a hand on his shoulder before sitting down, glaring over at Franklin. He looked over at her with a smirk before sitting down.

"There's also the issue of the attempt on Mr. Shaw's life," Gabriel said. "We have no actual proof but we do suspect Alpha Franklin had something to do with it so that Amara could become unmated."

"And what makes you suspect this?" Elder Raquel asked.

As Gabriel explained the details of what happened at the Xcel Center in Minnesota, Amara stared at Franklin to try and gauge his reaction. The man had no visible movement to the accusations. He merely watched Gabriel talk with an emotionless expression on his face.

"Hmm, well, that does sound suspicious," Elder Portman said, looking at Franklin. "Is there any truth to their accusations?"

Franklin shook his head, interlocking his fingers together. "No, Elder Portman."

Amara scoffed and crossed her arms together. Of course the bastard was going to deny it but she knew Franklin was involved with the assassination attempt.

"Hmm. We have much to discuss on this matter. Alpha Morrison, Alpha Forrester, Mr. Shaw, Miss Jenson...would you mind leaving the room for a few minutes?" Elder Portman asked.

They nodded, got out of their seats and left the room. Franklin's large entourage bowed to Amara as they exited the area and she rolled her eyes. They were already treating her like their Luna. Amara went and sat on a bench outside the conference room and Rory joined her, holding her hand and kissing it.

"Everything is going to be fine," he said. "You are not going to become his Luna."

Amara gave him a nod before resting her head on his shoulder, tightening her grip on his hand. "What if they favor Franklin? I don't think I'd be able to stand being without you, Rory," she said sadly.

He lifted her chin and pecked her lips. "That is not going to happen. Even if he ends up winning this, I'll start a war over it if I have to. I'll send every single one of my allies over here with every single warrior just to make it known that you belong with me and not him, understand?"

Amara nodded and nuzzled the crook of his neck. "What if he tries to...before you could gather up all the warriors, what if he-"

"Don't finish that sentence. You fight that man, kill him if he lays one finger on you. You are a strong Alpha blooded wolf. I'm certain you can take that son of a bitch on."

She giggled and kissed his knuckles as Gabriel walked up to them. He sighed and sat on Amara's other side and looked over at Rory.

"So, Mr. Shaw...have you put in your two weeks yet?" Gabriel asked Rory.

"Yes, I did on Monday," Rory answered.

As the two men conversed, Amara became lost in her own thought. What was the Elder council going to decide? Was she going to have to join the Blood Pearl Pack? If so, how long would it take until she had to move in with them? And how long would it take until Rory could get an army together to rescue her? Amara suddenly felt dizzy and leaned forward, holding her head in her hands.

"Are you alright, mo caraid?" Rory asked, rubbing her back gently.

"No," she replied with a sob. "The anticipation is killing me."

Rory shushed her and pulled her up into a hug. "Chan eil duine gad thoirt bhuam. Na bi a-riamh," he whispered in her ear. _[No one is taking you from me. Never.]_

Amara sniffled and buried her face into his shoulder. She had no idea what he said but it was comforting to hear him speak Gaelic anyway. She felt Gabriel grip her shoulder and her hand went to his as both men comforted her in her time of need.

"Luna?" Someone said.

Amara lifted her her head and glared at the man standing before her. She immediately stood up with a growl.

"I am _not_ your Luna," she snarled.

The man bowed his head. "My apologies. The council is reconvening. They have made their decision."

Amara nodded and her men stood up with her. They walked back into the conference room and she took her seat as she watched Franklin amble in with his small group of werewolves. The man disgusted her and she sneered at him. He noticed her gaze and he merely chuckled.

"The Elders have come to a decision?" Gabriel asked.

"We have," Elder Portman replied. "We find the contract null and void now that Amara Jenson has found her mate."

Amara's eyes went buggy and she breathed a sigh of relief. She immediately gazed over at Franklin. He looked unphased by this answer and that worried her.

 _"How can he be so calm about this?"_ she wondered.

"This is great news," Gabriel said. "We appreciate your time on this matter, Elders. Thank you very much for a quick decision."

Everyone stood and bowed to the Elders before they were dismissed. Amara grasped Rory's hand tightly when her eyes met with Franklin's. He had a look in his eye that made her blood run cold. It was a simple look that said only one thing.

This isn't over.


	34. The Memory

Amara, Rory and Gabriel arrived back in Casper and went home. Rory gave Amara a kiss goodbye before getting into his car and heading off to school. She went upstairs to change into a black long sleeved shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes before heading over to the pack house for chores. She spent a good portion of the day cleaning and such with Benjamin before she had to go to work, where she'd already put in her two week notice.

While at work, a couple of school girls came into the shop and asked how she was doing after being suspended. Amara laughed, saying she was doing just fine. Jake, her boss, kept talking about how much he was going to miss her and she brushed him off each time, talking about how she'd visit often.

"So why are you moving? And where?" Jake asked.

Amara looked around the store, not seeing anyone who could eavesdrop on the conversation. "I'm going to Scotland, but do not tell anyone."

"Scotland? What the hell for?" he whispered.

"I found my mate."

"And he lives in Scotland?"

"No. He did, but he's moving back."

"But why?"

Amara looked around again, careful to see that no one was listening in as she folded t-shirts. "He's going to be Alpha of his pack."

"And you're gonna be the Luna? What?!"

"Shh, keep it down!" Amara giggled. "Long story short, he _was_ the Alpha, then he passed the title down to his younger brother Malcolm but...Malcolm feels unfit for the role, so Rory is taking it back."

"Rory? Your mate's name is Rory?"

Amara nodded. "Yes, but not a word of this to anyone."

"My lips are sealed," Jake said.

As the work evening turned into night, Amara finished up her jobs and left the store. As she drove home, she had a Marilyn Manson CD in and was singing along to the songs playing. Tom and Henry were following her in Tom's car and as soon as she got home, she waved at them and they took off. Amara went inside and cooked herself something to eat, then she went upstairs, almost running into Luna Skye.

"Oh my goodness!" Skye yelped.

Amara took a step back and raised a brow. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. I was distracted and didn't hear you coming." Amara nodded and walked around Skye towards her room. "Miss Jenson?"

Amara stopped, silently cursed and turned to look at Skye. "Yes?"

Skye approached cautiously. "I'm going to be straight forward. Malcolm has urged that I try to get to know you."

Amara scoffed. _"Oh yeah, that'll be the day,"_ Dakota said.

"Why?" Amara asked.

"You are to be the future Luna. And...well," Skye began fidgeting with her fingers, "he told me not to burn bridges."

Amara thought this was rather odd behavior coming from a woman who threw a temper tantrum about no longer being Luna, let alone flat out called her a curse for being a black wolf. She tilted her head to one side, wondering just how much sway Malcolm held over the woman. Was it because of the mate bond that she was so compliant? Did he order it as an Alpha? Would Rory ever try to persuade Amara in those ways to do his bidding? She hoped not.

"I see. Well," Amara sighed. "I suppose I better get practicing on my diplomatic skills. Are you hungry?"

"I could eat," Skye responded cheerfully.

"Alright. Let's go downstairs and I'll scrounge us up a snack, then we can get acquainted."

The two women went down the stairs and Amara started digging around in the pantry for something to munch on. When she found something, she held the items out to Skye.

"I'm not sure what kind of snacks you have in Scotland, but uh...I hope these will do," Amara said, holding up a bag of pretzels and cheese dip.

"Oh, pretzels. I love pretzels," Skye managed with a smile.

Amara nodded and popped the dip in the microwave to heat it up. When that was done, she pulled it out and set it on the island counter before opening it as well as the pretzel bag. The two girls started dipping in and began having a conversation.

* * *

Rory drove into the driveway of the Forrester mansion and got out of his car before walking up to the house. He rang the door bell and waited for someone to answer. The door popped open after a bit to reveal Amara and she smiled.

"Hi, baby..." she cooed, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him.

"Hello, mo caraid," he said, kissing her. "How was your day?"

Amara pulled him into the house and directed him upstairs. "It was okay. I uh, did chores, did work at Hot Topic, came home...had a heart to heart with your former mate."

Rory's jaw dropped as he looked at Amara in shock. "Seriously?"

"Uh huh. Though it was a bit awkward. I still don't like her that much but Dakota and I have decided not to rip her head off."

Rory burst out laughing and held her hand. "Remind me never to piss you off."

Amara suddenly stopped in front of her room. "Rory?"

"Hmm?"

She bit her lip and looked at the floor. "You...would you ever try to manipulate me into doing something I didn't want to do?"

"I don't follow."

"Malcolm convinced Skye to come speak to me. Now how he did it, I'm not sure...maybe because of the mate bond or he ordered it as Alpha. I don't know but...would you ever do that to me?"

He frowned and rested his hands on her shoulders. "You're asking if I'd ever demand you to do something in my Alpha voice?"

Amara nodded. "Yes. For example...when Malcolm told Skye to be quiet on the plane. Would you ever command that I...what's the phrase you guys use? Haud my wheesht?"

He burst out into laughter. "Haud yer wheesht. But no, I can't imagine ever telling you to shut up. And if I did, well, I suspect it would only make you upset." Rory stroked her cheek. "The last thing I want to do is make you upset."

She smirked shyly up at him. "Okay, because I should warn you. Alpha demands don't work on me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...if Gabriel were to command me to do something, I have the option of disobeying him."

Rory's eyes blinked wildly. "Really? That's amazing. With all Alphas? With your father as well?"

"No, it became that way when I first shifted."

"I see. So, another black wolf quality, huh?"

Amara shrugged. "I guess." She opened the door and they both walked in. "So what are we going to tell the Oceans Howl Pack about me being a black wolf?"

Rory sat on the bed and intertwined his fingers. "I think the information should be on a need to know basis."

Amara scrunched up her face at him. "Meaning?"

"Meaning the pack doesn't need to know. Graham and Ewan will need to know, but they'll-"

"Who are Graham and Ewan?"

"My Beta and Gamma."

"Ooooh. Do you think they'll be alright with knowing?"

"They'll come around. I'll make them come around."

Amara chuckled and sat on the bed with him. "You're so sure of everything, aren't you?"

"Yes, I suppose I am. I was taught to be absolutely sure of any decisions I would make. There's very little positive in second guessing one's self constantly."

She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. "But sometimes it is necessary to second guess, isn't it?"

"Sometimes, yes. I have to admit, I was very unsure about you at first."

"You were?"

"Yes. Darragh was almost adamant that we were mates even before you turned eighteen. I was convinced it was just your abnormal scent driving us both crazy, but..."

Suddenly she laughed. "I drove you crazy, huh?"

A low grumbling laugh escaped Rory's throat. "Oh, Miss Jenson, you have no idea how crazy you made me from the moment you first walked into my classroom."

* * *

_Mr. Shaw sniffed the air a bit as he settled his things on the desk. Lots of juvenile scents from teenagers were present but there was one that stood out though it was quite faint. He couldn't make it out very well over all the scents so he decided to ignore it despite how good it smelled._

"Well, this is our first day, Rory," _Darragh said in Mr. Shaw's head._ "How are you feeling?"

"Good," _Rory replied in his head._ "Nothing will catch me off guard today."

"Not even who this black wolf is? I can't believe they have one in the pack."

"I know, but let's not carry judgment, Darragh. "

"But they're wild and unpredictable. And ugly. Everyone knows that."

_Mr. Shaw chuckled and shook his head._ _Just then, the wonderful scent he smelled earlier appeared once more as he made his way to the blackboard._

"Do you smell that?" _Rory asked._

"Yes. It smells wonderful. What is that?" _Darragh inquired._

_As the smell got stronger, Mr. Shaw turned away from the blackboard, having forgotten that he was going to write his name when he saw a student at his door. Long, black hair, dashing emerald eyes and a small but strong looking frame of a girl was staring back at him and he almost dropped his chalk at her beauty and smell._

"Oh my Goddess..." _Mr. Shaw thought._

"She's pure bonnie, Rory. Who is she?" _Darragh asked._

"A student," _Rory realized based on the fact that she was wearing a back pack, panicking on the inside._

_There was no way he was going to allow himself to think inappropriately about a student._

_"Hello. I'm Mr. Shaw, your new math teacher," Mr. Shaw said._

_"Um...uh...hi, I'm Amara Jenson," the girl said._

"The black wolf," _Darragh said._

"Now now, Darragh. No judgments," _Mr. Shaw thought to his wolf._

"The only judgment I'm passing is how much I want to rut with her."

_Mr. Shaw did his best not to blush._ _"It's nice to meet you, Amara," he said._

_He watched a shy smile spread across her face before she sat down and for the life of him, he could not stop staring. She smelled and looked like perfection itself. How could someone that bonnie be a black wolf? Her emerald green eyes shifted to meet his and Rory felt his mouth go dry._

_"So, um...you're from Scotland?" Amara inquired quickly._

_This made Rory chuckle. "You caught the accent, huh? Yes, I'm from Scotland."_

_"Huh."_

_The girl looked back down at her math book, and yet Mr. Shaw kept his eager blue eyes on her. He began to study every visible part of his student. The way her hair fell across her cheeks when her head was lowered. The way her keen eyes darted across when she was reading. How her plump lips parted as she breathed. Rory found that he was absolutely fascinated by this young beauty but he couldn't figure out why. Suddenly her eyes lifted and locked onto his. Amara looked a little intrigued._

_"Um, not to be rude, but...is there a reason you're staring at me?" she asked him._

"Oh bollucks, way to not be creepy," _he thought to himself._

_"I apologize, Amara," he replied. "I know it's a little inappropriate, but I was informed you have a black wolf and you're...not what I expected."_

_"Word gets around fast, I guess," she practically snarled._

"Oh no. You've offended the lass. Apologize," _Darragh urged._

_Before Mr. Shaw could say anything, the beautiful smell disappeared and kids started coming into class._

* * *

It was Amara's first day back at school and she decided to go in early to avoid the stares and whispers of the crowd, but she had stopped at a Starbucks to get some white chocolate mocha coffee. As she made her way towards math class, her thoughts immediately went to Rory.

Her math teacher and boyfriend.

This was surely going to be something until his two weeks were up.

Amara clasped onto her scent suppressing necklace tightly. Gabriel, Rory and Amara had decided it was best to hide that she had mated with someone for now, for once one is mated, their scent changes to let others know that they are taken. And considering Mr. Shaw was now mated as well, it was best not to let people put two and two together.

The smell of cinnamon and ginger wafted into her nose and she smiled. It was her mate's scent and she loved it, hovering at the math class door. When Amara walked in, she was greeted by Rory's award winning smile and she beamed right back at him.

"Mr. Shaw," she greeted casually, sitting down at her desk.

"Amara," he answered with his face still bright. Amara took a drink of her coffee and as she set it down, Rory came walking over to her. "Amara, do you think you could help me with something?"

"Yes, of course," she replied. "With what?"

He made a "come hither" motion with his finger and she got up, following him to the classroom's supply closet. Rory opened it and they both walked in. When Amara turned to face him and ask what he needed help with, he pulled her close and kissed her softly. It made her giggle as she put her arms around him.

"Mr Shaw," she chastised playfully. "We shouldn't be doing this at school."

Rory laughed. "I'm sorry, I can't help myself, mo caraid. Besides, we have a whole half hour before anyone shows up. We could get so much done in a half hour."

Amara raised a brow suggestively. "Oh really? What did you have in mind, baby?"

Rory wiggled his eyebrows at her before chortling and kissing her again. "Like you need to ask..."


	35. Amara's Scent

After making out for twenty minutes in the supply closet, Amara and Mr. Shaw adjusted themselves physically and went back to their seats. Soon kids started walking into class and Amara finished up her coffee before throwing it in the trash. Once she was back in her seat, she noticed the stares she was getting from some of the class mates. One of which was Kevin Lang. The look in his eye was making her rather uncomfortable. Amara chose to ignore him and his buddies, at least until Kevin and his friends surrounded her desk.

"Hey Amara," Kevin said smoothly. "What's up?"

Amara raised an eyebrow at him. "Not much, what's up with you?"

"Not a whole lot." He got in the seat next to her with a smile, leaning close to her. "Why can't I smell you?"

"Oh." She pointed to her necklace. "Because of this thing. It makes my scent non existant."

"Is it enchanted or something?"

"I believe so, yes."

Kevin scooted closer along with his friends to get a better look. This made Amara more uncomfortable but she sat still anyway with wide eyes. Kevin went to reach for the necklace but she shied away from him.

"Didn't your mother teach you to keep your hands to yourself?!" Amara snapped at him.

"Kevin!"

Everyone in the group turned to see Mr. Shaw standing by, glaring at the boys. "Mr. Shaw, I was just..." Kevin began.

"Just what?!" Mr. Shaw belted out. "You were about to touch her!"

This had everyone's attention now. Amara was staring at Rory with wide eyes.

 _"Rory, please calm down,"_ she said in the mind link.

Mr. Shaw's eyes fluttered a little and he sighed. "Kevin, James, Gregory, go to your seats," he demanded. "Now."

The boys hurried away to their desks and Rory looked at Amara apologetically. _"I'm sorry. Just the thought of some boy touching you..."_ he spoke telepathically.

_"It's alright, mo caraid. I love when you get possessive."_

Mr. Shaw smirked briefly, went to the black board as the bell rang and started the lesson. As the class went on, he and Amara occasionally conversed to one another telepathically about their plans for after school. She was no longer grounded, thankfully, Gabriel wanting her to enjoy her last days in the pack. They were even planning a going away party for the both of them. It was going to be a small one, though.

"To graph the equation x minus 2y equals negative 8, we would first convert the equation to slope intercept or y equals mx plus b form," Mr. Shaw explained, pointing at the white board. "In other words, we want to get y by itself on the left side of the equation before we graph, so we need to subtract x from both sides of the equation." He started writing on the board. "To get negative 2y equals negative x minus 8. Put your x term first on the right side of the equation so that it will eventually match up with y equals mx plus b form. Next we divide both sides by negative 2..."

Amara listened to her boyfriend continue but she was mostly focusing on the sound of his sweet, Scottish voice. She grinned as she stared at him, her eyes eventually trailing to his butt.

 _"I love your ass,"_ she thought to him.

Rory paused in his writing for a moment before continuing his lesson, hearing his laugh in her head.

 _"Amara, I have to concentrate,"_ Rory chastised lightly.

A devious smile appeared on her lips as an idea occurred to her. An image of them having sex in bed popped into her mind and she sent it to him telepathically. This made him drop his black marker on the floor. Mr. Shaw quickly picked it back up and cleared his throat.

 _"I'm going to get you for that, Amara Jenson,"_ he said.

He turned to the class. "Can anyone tell me what the equation becomes with what I have written on the board?"

No one raised their hands. Amara bit her lip with a grin but then it faded when his eyes settled on her.

"Amara? What do you get with negative 2x over negative 2 equals negative x minus 8 over negative 2?" he asked her.

Amara tilted her head. "You get-"

A flash of an image of Rory bending her over his school desk in the midst of passion flooded her mind and she squeaked as her cheeks flushed. This made him smirk.

"Sorry, what was that?" he asked.

Another image of them together popped up and she gripped her desk tightly. "Y-You get...y equals x over 2 plus 4."

 _"Two can play at this game, mo caraid,"_ he whispered in her mind.

"Very good," Rory said, writing her answer down on the board.

Amara smirked at him, suppressing a laugh. As he continued the lesson, she started writing down notes about the math. Soon the bell rang and everyone started leaving their seats.

"Alright, class. Pages sixty five and sixty six for your assignment and it's due on Monday. Enjoy the rest of your day. Amara, I need a word."

Amara waited until everyone left before she approached Mr. Shaw. "Yes, Mr. Shaw?" she said innocently.

He squinted his eyes at her playfully. "You little shit..."

Amara gasped casually. "What did I do?"

He laughed. "You know what you did."

This made her laugh too. "I'm sorry."

"No you're not."

A pout formed on her face. "You don't believe me?"

"Not a chance in Hell."

"How rude."

Rory barked with laughter, looked at the class room door and quickly pulled Amara to him, giving her a small kiss before letting her go. "You better head to your next class. I'll see you afer you get off work."

Amara smiled with a nod and turned around, walking out of class. Once she was in the hallway, she sent another sexual image to her boyfriend.

 _"Damn you!"_ Rory shouted in her head.

Amara cackled along with Dakota inside her own head and she headed to her history class. When she got there, she sat down with a smug smile on her face as she sat down next to Janine.

"What's with the smile, Amara?" Janine asked curiously.

"Oh, just played a little prank on my mate during math class," she whispered, giggling.

"Really? What did you do?" Janine inquired with a raised eye brow.

Amara smiled more brightly as she leaned in, explaining to Janine what had occurred in math class. This brought on a fit of giggles from Janine.

"I should try that with Logan," she laughed.

Amara rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe that bully is your mate."

"Oh come on. He's left you alone, hasn't he?"

"Well, yeah, but the memories, man..."

Janine frowned. "If he gives you any more trouble, you tell me. I'll knock some sense into him."

The bell rang and Mr. Pyke began class.

"Alright. Today, we are going to talk about the legendary werewolves of Ossary from Ireland."

* * *

Amara shut her locker with a sigh, staring at the word "CURSED" on it. Very soon, she would no longer have to come to this damn locker day after day. Soon, opening it and looking at it would be a thing of the past. While she had very good memories of her five years in this pack, she certainly wasn't going to miss this one. Her fingertips graced the black writing as she bit her lip, cocking her head up the side as she remembered the day she came in to find this on her locker.

Benjamin had been right next to it, arms crossed and a triumphant smile on his face as he claimed what he'd done. Amara remembered feeling more annoyed than embarassed. Calm, even, about the whole situation. Not once had she had an impetuous reaction to his handiwork, so she merely tended to her locker as needed and walked away.

As time went by, though, the display seemed to encourage people to up their game in bullying, especially Benjamin. Simple teasing turned into shoves into walls and ripping of her back packs. Hostility rose and increased in frequency, and Benjamin often urged on the students as they tried to get on her nerves.

And yet her head held high. Every shove was met with a shove of her own or a loud, threatening snarl. Every rip of her back pack resulted in a threat to tear everyone apart who dared to touch her. Every bad cheer, every single encouragement to make her life hell, she made just as much hell for her enemies. Not once did she falter or cry.

Tom's phone rang and he answered it. "Hello?" he said. "Julia? What's...what? Are you serious?"

Amara looked up at Tom. "What's up?"

Tom looked absolutely ecstatic. "My wife! She just went into labor!"

Amara gasped happily. "Oh my Goddess! Well go! Go get her!"

Tom went running down the hall and Henry looked antsy. "I, um..."

She giggled and pressed a hand to Henry's shoulder. "Go on with him. You're about to be an uncle."

Henry thanked her and went racing after Tom. She looked back at the locker and sighed, once again getting lost in her memories. After a few moments, she turned around only to bump into Kevin Lang.

"Hey Cursed," he muttered.

Amara rolled her eyes. "What do you want?" she asked, sounding exasperated.

"What do you think?" he asked.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't know, Kevin. Maybe a fight?"

Kevin chuckled and grasped her arm. "Not exactly, but I'm sure you'll put up one."

Amara scoffed and slipped her arm from his hand before walking away. She bumped into two of his buddies and sighed, putting her back pack on the floor.

"Alright. I just got back from being suspended, but I guess that doesn't matter to any of you," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "Go on, I'll let you throw the first punch, Gregory."

Gregory and James looked at one another and grinned evily before looking back at her. They both grabbed her along with Kevin and she struggled in their grasp as she was dragged into the boy's restroom. They threw her against a wall and she collided into it, grunting as she hit her head. Amara looked up and saw more boys were in the bathroom staring down at her with malicious grins and lustful eyes.

 _"Oh crap,"_ Amara thought. _"Why me?"_

Blood was trickling from her forehead as boys started cornering her. Amara stood up quickly and got into a fighting stance. If she was going to go down, it wasn't going to be without a fight.

* * *

Mr. Shaw was writing on the chalkboard when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Sonething was wrong.

 _"It's Amara,"_ Darragh said. _"She's in trouble!"_

Rory rushed from the classroom and went running down the hall. The mate pull was guiding him to the boys bathroom where he heard screams. The door was locked but he kicked it in to see Amara being pinned down and having her clothes torn off by multiple students. The sight made his blood boil and Darragh was urging Rory to shift and kill all who would dare violate his mate. Mr. Shaw didn't even bother with a warning as he rushed in and started throwing boys away like rag dolls. Kevin was flung into a mirror while Gregory was tossed into a bathroom stall. The rest of the boys backed off after seeing how angry Mr. Shaw was. He was seething and it was taking every ounce of willpower not to phase into his wolf.

He looked down at Amara and his anger intensified. Blood was dripping from her forehead and her clothes were ripped to shreds. She was shaking with fury as her angry black eyes roamed around the bathroom.

"What the hell is going on in here?!" a voice shouted.

Mr. Shaw turned to see Mr. Anderson and a few other male teachers in the bathroom.

"These guys dragged me in here and attacked me!" Amara screeched as she stood up, covering her exposed chest. "And they were talking about...doing things to me!"

Rory took off his suit jacket and wrapped it around Amara, trying to hold himself back from physically comforting her.

 _"Oh, mo caraid..."_ he whispered in her mind.

"She's a liar!" Kevin yelled. "She tried to seduce us with her Cursed scent!"

"Horseshit!" Amara yelled. "My scent is back to normal because I found my mate and we completed the mating process!"

Everyone looked at her in shock. "What?" Mr. Anderson asked.

Amara removed her necklace and handed it to Mr. Shaw. "See? My scent is just fine."

Mr. Anderson sighed. "Alright. Kevin, James, Gregory, Joshua, Bo, Derek, Paul, Jacob...my office right now!" Mr. Anderson said furiously.

All the male students were escorted out of the bathroom. As Amara tightened Rory's jacket on her, Mr. Anderson approached the both of them.

"Amara, are you okay?" he asked her.

She nodded. "I'm fine."

He looked at Rory. "Well, it's a good thing you found her. But Amara," Anderson said, eyeballing her. "If you've mated, why are you still wearing the necklace?"

Amara looked at the floor. "Well...it's complicated, Mr. Anderson. My mate and I wanted to keep it a secret."

"I see..." Mr. Anderson said, looking at the two skeptically. "I'm going to inform the Alpha, let him know what happened here so he can bring you some clothes. Mr. Shaw, will you please escort her to the nurses' office to have her head looked at?"

Mr. Shaw nodded and Mr. Anderson left the bathroom. As soon as the door closed, Rory wrapped Amara up in his arms, breathing heavily.

"Are you alright, mo caraid?" he asked desperately.

Amara began to shiver in his grasp. "I almost got raped, Rory,' she sobbed. "I tried to fight back but they all attacked me at once, and I-I couldn't...I couldn't...oh, the awful things they said to me."

He closed his eyes and gripped her more tightly but she flinched.

He pulled back and looked at her with shock. "What? Did I hurt you?"

Amara was still shuddering. "I think they broke something."

Rory growled in disgust. "I can't believe this. They should've known better than to ever touch you."

"They wanted to smell me. Goddess, I hate this school!" she cried out.

Rory shook his head. "Where the hell were Tom and Henry in all this?!"

"Tom's mate went into labor so I told him and Henry to go."

He sighed and started guiding her to the door. "C'mon, let's get you to the nurse's office."


End file.
